Newly hired manager Terry Francona has an out clause in his contract that will allow him to leave the Cleveland Indians if his superiors -- Chris Antonetti and Mark Shapiro -- are dismissed. This comes according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

Francona has publicly stated that he was drawn to the Indians in part because of his close relationship with Shapiro (the team's president) and Antonetti (the general manager).

Antonetti has come under criticism lately, and he may be in danger of losing his job. Fans and the media have been particularly critical of his decision to trade for pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. The righty has won just 13 games (against 21 losses) in his first two seasons in Cleveland, posting an ERA over 5.00 in both seasons.

Still, it is unlikely that the Indians would have granted Francona such a clause if they were planning to fire Antonetti in the near future.