The firing of MLB managers started early this season, with the Boston Red Sox letting go of Alex Cora in April. The Philadelphia Phillies followed suit by firing Rob Thomson to recover from their 9-19 slump. Now, the veteran manager of the Cincinnati Reds addressed how these firings weighed on his own job.

“When Alex got let go, I was stunned,” admitted Reds’ manager Terry Francona on the Phillies Extra podcast. “We opened the season with them, and I certainly paid attention. And then you kind of start worrying about your own self and your team and everything like that. But it really did surprise me.”

Francona has firsthand experience with getting fired as a manager. In his 24 seasons as an MLB manager, Francona (2057-1774) has been fired twice.

His major league managerial debut was with the Phillies in 1997, and he managed the team for three seasons before getting fired on October 1, 2000. Francona compiled a 285-362 record with the Phillies when general manager Ed Wade fired him due to underperformance. The Phillies were the second-worst in the National League in 2000, recording four straight losing seasons.

The 67-year-old veteran manager’s run with the Reds comes after a gap year.

After managing the Cleveland Guardians for 11 seasons, Francona stepped down from the position, owing to multiple health issues in 2023. In October 2024, the Reds signed him to a three-year contract, indicating that they plan to keep him with the organization long term.

The Reds, though, are struggling this year at the bottom of the NL Central with a 24-23 record. They have lost four of their last seven games, including a 10-3 blowout against the Cleveland Guardians. Considering that Alex Cora was fired after the Red Sox won 17-1 against the Baltimore Orioles, Francona’s worries about his own job are not entirely unfounded.

Despite winning two World Series with the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007, Francona himself was fired after spending eight seasons with the franchise. However, the firing followed the heels of a 7-20 September collapse that killed Boston’s playoff chances in 2011.

But Francona’s stint with the Reds can be considered mostly successful.

With him, the Reds reached the postseason last year for the first time in a 162-game season since 2013. But the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated them in the Wild Card games. They had also reached the postseason in the COVID-shortened 2020.

Francona further added, “It always seems like, in baseball, once the dam breaks, it’s like it opens it up, and other teams probably start thinking, ‘Well, if they did it, should we?’ And again, it’s never a fun thing, because a lot of them are friends of mine. It kind of comes with the territory, but it’s not the funnest part of the territory.”

This year, the firings do feel like a domino effect.

Days after Cora’s firing on April 25, the Phillies fired Rob Thomson on April 28. Under Thomson, the Phillies went through an awful 10-game skid. Post Thomson’s firing, the Phillies have crossed the .500 mark and hold a 24-23 record, the same as the Reds.

Francona’s Reds will face the Philadelphia Phillies next under the new manager, Don Mattingly.

Before the Reds go against the Phillies, the manager addressed their latest loss and Brady Singer’s pitching.

“Paid a big price”— Terry Francona evaluated Brady Singer’s start

Entering May, the Cincinnati Reds lost their momentum from the month before.

From the top of the NL Central, the Reds dropped to the bottom, losing 12 of 16 games in May. During this stretch, 29-year-old Brady Singer had four starts at the mound, and he took the loss in each, including their latest 10-3 blowout.

Singer threw only 4.0 innings against Cleveland on May 17, surrendering 5 earned runs on 7 hits, including 3 homers. In his last 22.1 innings across five starts, Singer has given up as many as 11 home runs.

Following the loss, Francona spoke about Singer’s outing at the mound.

“When he missed, he paid a big price,” said Francona, per MLB.com. “We knew going into the game they had nine left-handers [batting], and that’s a challenge. He had to work for everything.”

On a 0-1 count, Cleveland’s Chase DeLauter drove a two-run homer of Singer’s slider to give the Guardians a 2-0 lead. Kyle Manzardo followed it with another two-run shot in the third inning. It continued in the fourth with Brayan Rocchio’s solo shot to the right-field seats on a 2-2 sweeper. Singer’s woes ended in the fifth when Brock Burk replaced him.

Singer has struggled mightily against lefties this season. He has allowed 47 hits, 10 homers, and 7 walks so far while striking out 26. Overall, Singer has posted a 6.26 ERA in 10 outings this year.