The Kansas City Royals named Matt Quatraro as their new manager on Sunday. Quatraro will replace Mike Matheny, who was dismissed from his role after the Royals finished the season with a 65-97 record, thereby marking their sixth consecutive losing season.
Formerly the Tampa Bay Rays bench coach, Quatraro was targeted for the managerial role by Royals general manager J.J. Picollo, who viewed Quatraro as a forward-thinking manager with winning experience. This decision was reached soon after Picollo took over the general manager role following Dayton Moore’s dismissal.
“We are extremely excited to have Matt leading our club and core of talent,” Picollo announced following the confirmation of the new manager’s appointment. “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.”
In order to secure the role, Quatraro had to compete with the Royals’ own bench coach, Pedro Grifol, and third base coach Vance Wilson, along with Triple-A Omaha manager Scott Thorman. Other candidates who were considered include Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough and Boston Red Sox bench coach Will Venable.
