The Kansas City Royals gave their manager Mike Matheny a vote of confidence earlier this week by exercising the 2023 club option on his contract. Matheny previously had one year left on the three-year deal he signed ahead of the 2020 season.
Matheny had a challenging two years as the Royals manager, finishing last in AL Central in both 2020 and 2021. However, the franchise has looked past his 100-122 record, taking into consideration that he is leading a rebuilding squad that doesn’t have the pieces to contend just yet.
Issuing a statement after the news was made public, the team president Dayton Moore lauded Matheny’s leadership skills and said the Royals are happy to have such a “tremendous competitor” in the dugout.
“Mike is one of the finest leaders I’ve been around and the Royals are fortunate to have him managing our team,” Moore said. “He is a tremendous competitor who cares deeply about players, the Kansas City community and this great game of baseball.”
Mike Matheny, who played professionally in the MLB for 13 years, is best known for his managerial stint with the St. Louis Cardinals. During his six and a half years with the franchise, he won the NL Central three times and made the World Series in 2013. Matheny left St. Louis during the 2018 season with an overall record of 591 wins and 474 losses.
