Royals promote Mitch Maier from coaching staff to a front office role
New manager Mike Matheny’s coaching staff hasn’t been finalized, but the Kansas City Royals will definitely have a new first base coach next season.
Mitch Maier, a former Royals player and first-round draft pick, has been promoted to the front office as the club’s director of baseball operations.
Maier, 37, served as the club’s first base coach and outfield/base running coach for the past two seasons after taking over for Rusty Kuntz. Prior to succeeding Kuntz, Maier had been the minor league outfielder/base running coordinator in 2017.
“It’s a great opportunity to grow within this game and grow within this organization,” Maier said in a release from the club. “I’m excited to transition into this new role and look forward to continuing to contribute to the Kansas City Royals.”
Last season, the Royals stole 117 bases, second-most in the majors, and shortstop Adalberto Mondesi finished second in the majors with 43 steals.
“We’re excited to promote him to that role,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “I’ve known for a long time that Mitch has the ability to do a lot of things in this game. I knew that when he was a player. He’ll touch a lot of different areas. He brings a huge amount of experience and a lot of upside as an executive.”
Moore initially approached Maier about the possibility of joining the front office last year and asked Maier to consider the switch.
The Royals coaching staff will undoubtedly take on a different look under Matheny than it had under retired manager Ned Yost.
Former bench coach Dale Sveum already decided to move into a different role in the organization after six seasons on the coaching staff. His new position has not yet been announced.
The promotion of Maier from the coaching staff to the front office means there are at least two open positions for new faces on Matheny’s staff.
The Royals could promote from within the organization or Matheny could bring in a coach or two he’s familiar with to join his initial staff.
Quality control/catching coach Pedro Grifol and pitching coach Cal Eldred are both set to return to the staff, and Grifol could take over the bench coach job vacated by Sveum.
In November, Moore gave an indication that every member of the coaching staff would be offered the chance to stay within the organization for 2020, though it was clear that not all would remain as coaches.
It would not be a surprise if Vance Wilson moved from bullpen coach to the quality control position Grifol has held. Hitting coach Terry Bradshaw and third base coach Mike Jirschele could also return.
The Royals major-league coaching staff could be announced prior to the start of next week’s MLB Winter Meetings.
