CLEVELAND (AP) Indians manager Terry Francona has assembled his coaching staff for the 2021 season, but it won’t include his longtime friend and bench coach Brad Mills.
Francona, who missed much of this past shortened season with significant health issues, will replace Mills with DeMarlo Hale. The 59-year-old Hale joins the Indians after spending the past two seasons with the Atlanta Braves.
Hale previously worked on Francona’s staff in Boston from 2006-2011, serving as bench coach in 2010 and 2011. Hale has also been with Texas, Baltimore and Toronto.
Mills, who opted out of the 2020 season for personal reasons, will remain with the Indians in a yet-to-be determined capacity.
Francona intends to return for his ninth season with the Indians. He managed only 14 games this year due to a gastrointestinal issue requiring surgeries and led to blood-clot complications that landed him in the hospital for several days.
With first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. filling in for Francona, the Indians clinched a wild-card spot but were eliminated by the New York Yankees.
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