[新聞] Royals hire Matt Quatraro as manager
KANSAS CITY -- The Royals are bringing in a new face to lead their big league
club, officially hiring Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro as their manager on
Sunday night.
Quatraro is the Royals’ 18th full-time manager in franchise history, the
hire coming after the club parted ways with Mike Matheny following a 65-97
season. A long list of candidates had been narrowed down over the past three
weeks -- but Quatraro had always been viewed as the favorite, sources told
MLB.com.
Quatraro is the first key hire of J.J. Picollo’s tenure as executive vice
president and general manager. In Kansas City, Quatraro will guide a young
team oozing with potential. Thirteen Royals made their Major League debuts in
2022, and 21 rookies appeared in games this year, tied for third-most in
franchise history behind 2004 (23) and ’02 (22).
With his coaching experience throughout the Minor Leagues, knowledge of how
successful small-market clubs are run and the respect and admiration he’s
garnered from players, Quatraro checked all the boxes for the Royals.
Quatraro signed a three-year contract with an option for 2026 with the
Royals, per a source, and he will be formally introduced to the media
Thursday morning at Kauffman Stadium.
“We are extremely excited to have Matt leading our club and core of talent,
” Picollo said in the club’s statement announcing the hire. “Matt has
great experiences throughout his career that have prepared him for this. He
thoroughly impressed us all during our interview process and is clearly
respected across the industry. We are looking forward to working alongside
Matt to bring winning baseball to our great fans."
Quatraro, 48, spent the last five seasons on Kevin Cash’s staff in Tampa
Bay, including one season as the third-base coach and four as the bench
coach. The Rays reached the postseason in four of Quatraro's five years on
their big league staff, including a World Series appearance in 2020.
Quatraro also served as Cleveland’s assistant hitting coach from 2014-17,
overlapping with Royals owner John Sherman’s minority stake there.
Quatraro's experience and success in both helped his candidacy in Kansas
City, as Sherman views both Tampa Bay and Cleveland as models for
small-market success.
On top of all that, Quatraro has the respect and adoration of players,
coaches and executives from around the industry. He has interviewed for
several managerial openings, including with the Pirates and Giants after the
2019 season, the Tigers after ’20, the A’s and Mets after ’21 and the
Marlins this offseason before they hired Skip Schumaker -- allowing the
Royals to finalize their offer.
“I’m grateful to Mr. Sherman and the ownership group, J.J. and the front
office and everyone else with the Royals for this opportunity,” Quatraro
said through the Royals. “I already knew the talent on the roster and how
great the fans in Kansas City are, and the interview process convinced me
that the terrific things I’d heard about the organization’s culture are
true. I can’t wait to get started, and for my family to get to Kansas City
and be part of that community.”
In their new skipper, the Royals are looking for someone to shepherd their
young core -- which includes Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino
and a slew of young pitchers -- to the next window of contention, and
Quatraro receives high praise for his communication with players.
The Royals have not had a winning season since 2015, when they won the World
Series.
"J.J. and his staff designed and executed a rigorous process that revealed
Matt to be the best leader for our club," Sherman said in the Royals’
announcement. "Matt is widely respected throughout baseball with a proven
record and tangible contributions in two organizations that built winning
cultures through creativity and innovation. We are thrilled to welcome Matt,
his wife Chris and sons George and Leo to the Kansas City community."
A former catcher, corner infielder and outfielder, Quatraro played seven
seasons in the Rays' organization, topping out in Triple-A. His coaching
career began with the Rays in 2004, with coaching and managerial stints
throughout the Minor Leagues. He also spent four years as the Minor League
hitting coordinator for Tampa Bay.
Having hired their manager, the Royals and Quatraro will now turn to filling
out the coaching staff. Their priority is hiring a new pitching coach after
Cal Eldred was let go on the final day of the season. Picollo has already
announced that the hitting side will largely stay the same, with Alec Zumwalt
as the hitting coach and Mike Tosar and Keoni DeRenne as assistant hitting
coaches. Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol and third-base coach Vance Wilson
were internal candidates for the managerial opening, so whether they stay
with the Royals in their roles is to be determined.
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