The royal family hired Rice coach Matt Quattaro as manager

KANSAS CITY, MO – Kansas City Royals hired Tampa Bay Rays coach Matt Quattaro as manager Sunday, handing the youthful core of the rebuilding franchise to a forward-looking manager with winning experience in a small market.

Quattaro replaces Mike Matheny, who was fired as part of a widespread shake-up within the royal family after finishing 65-97 for their sixth consecutive season of loss. Quatraro was chosen by Royals general manager JJ Picollo, who took over as the club’s head of baseball operations after the dismissal of front office executive Dayton Moore.

“We are very excited about Matt’s leadership of our club and core talent,” Piccolo said in a statement. “Matt has had great experiences throughout his career which has prepared him for this. He absolutely impressed us during our interview process and is clearly respected across the industry.”

The Royals interviewed their coach off the bench, Pedro Greifol, along with third base coach Vance Wilson and Triple-A Omaha manager Scott Thurman. They also expressed interest in Los Angeles Dodgers head coach Clayton McCullough and Boston Red Sox coach Will Venable, who have been linked to coach openings elsewhere.

One of the priorities that owner John Sherman set in front office reform was that he relied more on advanced analytics. The 48-year-old Quattraro reflects the same focus in the manager; Rays has excelled at using analytics to guide decision making, allowing them to consistently compete despite modest salaries.

“I think the management position has changed,” Piccolo said. “You talk to players from all over the league, the executives – there are things that teams are doing that are very advanced. Our goal is to find out what those things are and implement them here.”

Tampa Bay has had five straight winning seasons while playing in the rugged AL East.

Quatraro, who interviewed for Mets and A manager jobs last season, will lead one of the youngest teams in baseball, with rising talent as the Rookie of the Year candidate. Bobby Witt Jr.. catcher MG Melendez And the first base man Vinnie Pasquantino. However, there is a dearth of promotion of possibilities across the organisation.

“I am grateful to Mr. Sherman and the Property Group, JJ and Front Office, and everyone else with the Royal Family for this opportunity,” Quattaro said. “I already knew the talent on the roster and how amazing the fans were in Kansas City, and the interview process convinced me that the wonderful things I had heard about the culture of the organization were true. I can’t wait to get started, and for my family to come to Kansas City to be a part of this community.”

Quatraro starred as a college catcher in the Old Dominion before being selected by the Rays in the eighth round of the 1996 First Player of the Year draft. While he eventually made it to Triple-A level, Quatraro never appeared in a major league game.

After retiring as a player, Quatraro began working as a coach in the Rays minor league system. He started as a Hudson Valley batting coach but eventually rose to become the batting coordinator of the franchise minor league.

He was hired by Cleveland as an assistant batsman in 2010, and worked alongside head coach Terry Francona during the 2017 season—a period during which Sherman was a minority owner of the franchise.

Quatraro eventually returned to the Rays as third base coach, and when Charlie Montoyo was hired as Blue Jays manager after the 2018 season, he was promoted to bench coach. He has since served as the voting board for Rays manager Kevin Cash, helping the club win two division titles and four consecutive playoff appearances.

The Rays were swept away by the Guardians earlier this month in their AL wild-Card series.

“JJ and his staff designed and implemented a rigorous process that revealed Matt was the best captain for our club,” Sherman said. “Matt is greatly respected throughout baseball with a proven record and tangible contributions to two organizations that have built winning cultures through creativity and innovation. We are delighted to welcome Matt, his wife Chris, and sons George and Leo to the Kansas City community.”