Terry Francona has been rewarded.
The manager agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Cleveland Indians, the team announced Tuesday. The skipper’s deal, which now runs through 2018, also includes club options for 2019 and 2020.
Francona’s previous four-year contract with the Indians ran through the 2016 season. He’s enjoyed success in his two seasons at the helm, though, so Cleveland obviously wants to keep him around for the foreseeable future.
Francona, who sat out 2012 after spending the previous eight seasons as manager of the Boston Red Sox, guided the Indians to a 92-70 finish in 2013 and earned American League Manager of the Year honors as the Tribe carved out a spot in the wild card game. Cleveland went 85-77 in 2014.
Francona won World Series titles with Boston in 2004 and 2007, but he left the team following a historic collapse in September 2011. Bobby Valentine spent one season as the Red Sox’s manager before the team fired him and turned to current manager John Farrell.
Francona, who also managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997 to 2000, has a career .532 winning percentage.
Photo via Brad Rempel/USA TODAY Sports Images
