GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Coming into Spring Training last year, Reds players knew Terry Francona's résumé. This spring, as camp opens, they know the manager and the person. And as he heads into his second season with Cincinnati, Francona knows them, too.
That means skipping introductions, not needing to get the lay of the land or figuring out who does what.
“It doesn’t mean you take your foot off the gas -- far from it. But it’s easier to get your work done," Francona said on Monday as Reds pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training. "We should be able to get our work done more economically. I think we can do some things that we didn’t do last year to try to get better because we know each other now."
The plan is to hit the ground running, literally.
“I know there’s a lot of baserunning stuff I want us to do early in spring, because I care about that so much," said Francona, a likely future Hall of Famer who is ranked 12th on the all-time list with 2,033 wins as a manager. "I just think you’re getting reacquainted; you’re not introducing. I walked through the weight room a little bit ago, and you’re hugging people and seeing guys back. That’s a good feeling.”
Francona, who was hired shortly after the 2024 season to replace David Bell, led the Reds to an 83-79 record. They clinched the final National League Wild Card spot on the last day of the regular season.
The playoff experience didn't last long, however. The Dodgers eliminated Cincinnati in a two-game sweep during the Wild Card Series.
“I want them to remember when they popped champagne, how it felt. But I also want them to remember what it felt like four days later where you’re being sent home before you’re ready to," Francona said. "You want them to learn from both of the experiences. That’s kind of our obligation, whatever happens, to learn from it and get better. Good or bad.”
Many players were already at camp well before Monday -- including some position players that aren't required to report until Saturday. Among them, starting pitcher Andrew Abbott expected Francona to be even more comfortable than he was in Year 1.
“The learning curve has been taken out," Abbott said. "He’s seen how we play. He’s seen who we are, individually, with everybody in this clubhouse. He’s seen us in the dire moments, the tough moments and the good moments. He’s always been good during his career -- at least from the outside looking in -- at reading the team, doing what’s best for the guys, and that’s what I think makes him so successful.”
Last Tuesday, the Reds found the lineup boost they had been seeking and signed Eugenio Suárez to a one-year, $15 million contract. Suárez, who played for Cincinnati from 2015-21, slugged 49 home runs last season for the Diamondbacks and Mariners.
Francona called owner Bob Castellini after the deal was sealed to show appreciation.
“I was just leaving Tucson, [Ariz.,] and I was telling Nick [Krall, president of baseball operations], ‘I’m going to get up and run to Goodyear.’ My phone started ringing. I mean, everybody was fired up.
“It’s a presence in the middle of the order, and that usually makes people in front of you and behind you better. That’s just before you even start. That helps. We were mixing and matching so much last year and trying to protect Elly [De La Cruz], and we were doing it with younger guys. And every time we did it … We struggled a little bit. I get it. It started to become a focal point for other teams.”
Now that the cleanup spot is figured out, Francona is trying to determine who might bat second behind TJ Friedl and ahead of De La Cruz.
“To me, that’s the biggest [question], because we want to have somebody break up Elly and TJ, so it needs to be somebody that bats right-handed. My first thought was [Noelvi] Marte, but he struggled so bad against lefties. We’ve got to figure some things out. We haven’t played a game. Those are things I think about.”
Also to be determined is the fifth starter of the rotation, a battle that will be among young arms like Rhett Lowder, Chase Burns, Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar.
“He’s got a really good feel and ever-inspiring confidence in players no matter what’s going on," Abbott said. "I think it’s going to be beautiful that he doesn’t have to take a little bit of extra time to learn. He knows everybody, and it's just go and start building on what we did last year. And I think everybody is ready for it.”