The Right Voice: Terry Francona Would Be Ideal but Unlikely Next White Sox Manager

Terry Francona, a two-time World Series-winning manager, will reportedly be looking to return to the dugout in the not-too-distant future. Francona brings a level of gravitas that few other managerial candidates can boast and would surely be the market's hottest commodity if he's looking to join a team upon the conclusion of the 2024 season at the earliest.

Organizational Roots

Terry Francona got his managerial bearings under him while he was part of the White Sox organization from 1993 to 1995 when he managed the team's Double-A affiliate, the Birmingham Barons. Sources indicate that he was the manager of a rather famous guy who was suspended — I mean retired — from basketball during the 1994 season. I'm still reaching out to multiple sources to confirm these reports, however.

Francona eventually became manager of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997, which turned out to be an unsuccessful stop in his first foray into managing at the Major League level. From there, Tito was chosen to replace Grady Little in Boston, where he eventually helped guide the Red Sox to two World Series titles, breaking the team's 86-year drought in 2004 and winning another ring in 2007.

Francona was well-respected during his entire tenure in Boston, but his run eventually ended following a historic late-season collapse in 2011. Francona sat out for a year — when the White Sox had a chance to bring him in to replace the departed Ozzie Guillen instead of hiring the inexperienced Robin Ventura — before joining the division rival Cleveland Indians for the 2013 season.

Tito's time in Cleveland was a resounding success as the Tribe reached the playoffs and won at least 90 games six times. He guided the club to the 2016 World Series where they, unfortunately, had one of the most historic and painful collapses in history, squandering a 3-1 series lead and leading to one of the most unfortunate events the world has ever witnessed.

Francona's teams on the shores of Lake Erie consistently featured outstanding defense, great pitching, and just enough offense to drive you crazy. He proved to have a keen sense for managing a pitching staff and bullpen, consistently putting his clubs in the best position to win. The teams he guided in Cleveland were frequently in the middle to the bottom of the league in overall payroll, yet he always found a way to do more with seemingly less than teams like our White Sox.

The Right Mix

Terry Francona was touted for having a strong presence in commanding a clubhouse and the respect of his players across the board. Tito talked frequently about his use of data and needing to continually evolve with the game to try to stay ahead of the competition, not allowing past success to cause stagnation. His willingness to incorporate analytics, along with a strong personal feel, give him the right blend that a modern manager needs.

Francona has talked about not always agreeing with data that's presented to him, but he's open to listening and trying to understand new ways of thinking and approaching the game. This is an important distinction that's often a quandary for many of the game's managers today. We see some that rely almost entirely on analytics to their detriment, and we've seen others try to steer things too far in the other direction of old-school baseball thought processes and axioms from decades past.

Francona's ability to see the game's evolution and adapt accordingly while not losing sight of in-game feel has garnered him admiration across the sport. And it's a major reason why he'll be a hot commodity should he be serious in his desire to return to the dugout.

He possesses all the right qualities and has the successful track record that any serious organization would want to lead its ballclub. That brings us back to the White Sox. After the mistake that was Pedro Grifol, the Sox will have an opportunity to make the obviously right choice.

Francona is exactly the type of figure that would help restore a modicum of credibility to an organization in desperate need of it. He showed during his tenure in Cleveland he has a penchant for guiding teams that don't have the most talent and getting the most out of them, and that's exactly what the task would be at the corner of 35th/Shields.

Better Options?

The ultimate question: Would Terry Francona even want to manage the White Sox? He'll surely have better suitors available to him when he decides it's time to get back in the dugout. Whether it's after the 2024 or 2025 season as suggested, there will be no shortage of teams calling for Tito's services.

The New York Yankees, should they fail to reach the Fall Classic for a 15th consecutive year, could decide it's time to move on from Aaron Boone and give their old nemesis a call in hopes of restoring the Bronx Bombers to past glory. His career could come full circle returning to the city of Brotherly Love if Dave Dombrowski believes Rob Thompson isn't the man to get the Phillies over the hump.

Would the Seattle Mariners and their core of young, quality starting pitchers entice Francona should the team continue to underachieve under the leadership of Scott Servais? Or how about the upstart Cincinnati Reds should they not take the next step in their competitive cycle? Frankly, all of these options and a few others would be more appealing than a White Sox team that could be coming off the worst season in modern history.

If Tito decides to sit out the 2025 season as well, the Sox could do the most obvious thing and slide Charlie Montoyo to manager for a year on an interim basis before making a full commitment to a permanent option entering 2026. Francona is the pipedream that could go a long way toward getting the White Sox back to respectability and ultimately winning baseball again.

The odds of Francona rejoining the organization aren't high by any stretch of the imagination, but if the White Sox under the direction of Chris Getz are sincere in their position that they want to turn things around quickly, bringing in Francona when he determines it's his time to come back would be the home-run hire they need. The team won't have a chance to bring in a more credentialed manager any time in the near future, but those of us who follow the Sox daily have no shortage of skepticism the future Hall of Famer will even get a call from the South Siders.

Francona surely won't come cheap, and we've all seen that Jerry Reinsdorf lacks a willingness to pay for quality on the field, let alone in the dugout. Tito checks all the boxes in someone you'd want to take over as White Sox manager when Pedro Grifol is relieved of his duties, but don't hold your breath on the team doing the obviously right thing.