Indians hire Terry Francona as manager

The Cleveland Indians hired former Red Sox manager Terry Francona on Saturday to be their next manager, sources told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:

Sources: Francona to manage #Indians. Announcement likely Monday.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 6, 2012

The club officially announced the hiring Saturday shortly after Rosenthal's tweet, but will hold a formal press conference Monday at 11:00am ET to the elaborate on the details of the hiring and the team's thought process going forward.

Francona is believed to be on a four-year deal with the Tribe, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, though the financial specifics of the deal are unknown. Francona was with the Boston Red Sox from 2004-2011, leading the club to two World Series titles before getting the boot last year after their infamous September collapse. He also managed the Phillies from 1997-2000, making next season his thirteenth as a big league manager.

Bench coach and interim manager Sandy Alomar Jr. was the only other candidate interviewed for the manager job. Despite not giving him the position, the Indians have reportedly asked Alomar to return as their bench coach. There is no word at the moment on whether Alomar has accepted his old position back.