Terry Francona applauds during a tribute video prior to his final home game as Cleveland Guardians manager on Sept. 27, 2023. Francona was named the manager of the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

Terry Francona needed some time away from baseball. A year was long enough.

One of baseball’s most beloved managers, Francona has been hired by the Cincinnati Reds, returning to a team he played for after stepping down in Cleveland following last season because of health reasons.

The Reds announced the hire Friday. Francona has agreed to a three-year contract through the 2027 season with a club option for 2028, the team said in a statement.

Francona, who won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox, is replacing David Bell, fired by the Reds last month in the final days of his sixth season. Bell went 409-456 during his tenure.

Francona, who turns 66 in April, played as an outfielder for Cincinnati in 1987. He hit .227 with three homers and 12 RBI in 102 games.

He said he was excited to join a club with Cincinnati’s history and tradition.

“I can’t wait to start meeting and interacting with these good young players of ours,” Francona said in a statement.

Bob Castellini, the Reds’ principal owner and managing partner, said he was proud to welcome Francona to the team.

“Terry’s proven track record speaks for itself. He is an outstanding manager who will lead our club forward,” Castellini said.

It’s easy to see the appeal of the situation for both Francona and Cincinnati. The Reds went 77-85 this year, but they have one of the game’s most dynamic players in Elly De La Cruz and a potentially deep rotation fronted by Hunter Greene.

Francona helped All-Star third baseman José Ramírez become one of baseball’s best all-around players in Cleveland, and he should have no problem commanding the attention of Cincinnati’s young roster.

Francona’s hiring was met with some mixed feelings in Cleveland with some fans disappointed he would join the club’s in-state rival.

First-year Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who replaced Francona, is excited he’s back in the game.

“Tito is obviously somebody I’ve looked up to,” Vogt said before the Guardians worked out ahead of Game 1 of the AL Division Series. “He’s helped me tremendously this year. We want the best people working in baseball, and Tito is definitely one of them. Sure-fire Hall of Famer.

“When the best people are in the game, the game is a better place, so I’m really excited for Tito.”

After leaving the Guardians, Francona, a three-time AL Manager of the Year, spent time at his new home in Arizona and mostly kept a low profile other than attending basketball games at his alma mater in Tucson. He returned to Cleveland briefly during the summer to help launch a new restaurant in which he has an ownership stake.

Francona has a 1,950-1,672 record in 23 years as a big league manager with Philadelphia (1997-2000), the Red Sox (2004-2011) and Guardians (2013-2023).

Francona’s rise as one of the game’s best managers was somewhat unexpected.

Things didn’t go particularly well for him in Philadelphia, where he had four straight losing seasons, got constantly booed in a demanding, sports-crazed city and had the tires on his car slashed on fan appreciation day.

He was an unlikely choice for Boston’s job, but he immediately claimed legendary status by winning the World Series in his first season.

The Red Sox overcame a 3-0 deficit in the AL Championship Series and swept St. Louis to end an 86-year championship drought and exorcise the “Curse of the Bambino,” a perceived hex on the team after Babe Ruth was sold to the rival New York Yankees.

When his tenure in Boston ended in 2011 amid some controversy, Francona took a year off and worked in broadcasting before going to Cleveland, where his dad, Tito, spent six seasons and he himself played 62 games in 1988.

Francona took Cleveland to the playoffs seven times in his 11 seasons and won 921 games. The Guardians, then known as the Indians, made it to the World Series in 2016, only to lose to the Chicago Cubs in a seven-game series.

TWINS: Minnesota senior vice president and general manager Thad Levine is leaving the Twins after eight seasons with the club, the team said.

The Twins’ statement said he was leaving to “pursue new challenges and opportunities.”

The Twins made the playoffs four times in Levine’s tenure and were the defending American League Central champions. Minnesota was in postseason position much of this year before going 6-18 down the stretch to fall from contention.

Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey said Levine created a strong team culture focused on excellence and collaboration that will continue.

“While we will miss his leadership, we are equally excited to see the next chapter of the journey unfold,” Falvey said in a statement. “We wish him nothing but success.”

Levine, in a statement, thanked Twins’ management for his tenure there and said the time was right for him to pursue another challenge.

METS: Kodai Senga, who has thrown just 5 1/3 major league innings all year, is the surprise Game 1 starter for the New York Mets when they open the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Senga joined the Mets ahead of the 2023 season on a $75 million, five-year contract and became an All-Star in his first season. He went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts and finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

The 31-year-old Japanese pitcher made just one start this season as he dealt with injuries that included tightness in his right triceps. The team’s projected No. 1 starter this year, Senga also was sidelined by a strained left calf.

PADRES: Joe Musgrove needs Tommy John surgery and won’t pitch for the San Diego Padres in the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The right-hander has a UCL injury, A.J. Preller, the Padres president of baseball operations, said.

Musgrove left Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series with elbow tightness.

He had been pitching through discomfort for a couple of weeks. The 31-year-old right-hander been on the injured list from late May through mid-August with various elbow issues. He had a 2.17 ERA over 54 innings since Aug. 12.