The Reds introduced right this moment the teaching employees that will likely be working beneath new supervisor Terry Francona. One new rent that was not beforehand reported is Brad Mills within the bench coach place. Freddie Benavides, who received Cincinnati’s bench coach gig going into 2019, is listed right this moment as bench coach/area coordinator.
Mills, 68 in January, is a well-recognized face for Cincinnati’s new skipper. Francona managed in Philadelphia from 1997 to 2000, in Boston from 2004 to 2011 after which Cleveland from 2013 to 2023. Mills was first base coach for the Phillies throughout these years and bench coach for the Crimson Sox throughout most of Francona’s time there. Mills left to handle the Astros from 2010 to 2012, however then reunited with Francona in Cleveland in 2013.
He began his Cleveland tenure as third base coach however moved to bench coach in 2014. He stayed in that function via 2019 however then sat out the 2020 season, which was performed within the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, however Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer stories that Mills truly stepped away from the sport because of the tragic drowning of his 18-month-old grandson. For the 2021 season, Mills was reassigned to some unspecified non-coaching function with Cleveland, so this will likely be his first stint within the dugout in a few years.
Francona himself was away from baseball in 2024 as he centered on his well being. He’ll return in 2025 by taking up the managerial job for the Reds and has stuffed within the employees with some previous pals. Chris Valaika had been the hitting coach in Cleveland from 2022 to 2024 however was whisked away to Cincinnati final month. Now Mills will likely be introduced in to return to Francona’s facet, with Benavides additionally sticking round, although maybe in an altered function.
