Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona has battled health issues in recent years that have kept him away from the dugout. Those issues also have the 63-year-old giving serious thought to his future.
Francona said he intends to return for the 2023 season, but admitted that the job is getting “harder” physically and that he will not remain the team’s manager indefinitely.
“I want to enjoy what I’m doing. It’s getting harder to do that, just because physically it’s harder,” Francona told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic on Friday. “I just want to be careful. And at the same time, I want to be fair to the team.”
Francona’s contract expires at the end of the season, but team president Chris Antonetti made clear that the organization would welcome him back as long as he wants to keep managing.
The veteran manager has missed extended time in multiple seasons due to health issues. He opened up about some of what plagued him in 2020, and has also dealt with a staph infection since then.
Francona has had consistent success as Cleveland manager. His team currently holds a 1.5 game lead in the AL Central and have a solid shot at their sixth postseason appearance under his management.
