Get to know new Royals manager Matt Quatraro on today’s SportsBeat KC podcast episode
New Royals manager Matt Quatraro was introduced at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday by KC’s executive vice-president for baseball operations, J.J. PIcollo. During that session, and afterward, he shared impressions of his new ballclub and his first job as a major-league manager.
“It’s surreal still,” Quatraro. “There is so much work ahead.”
Yes, there is for a franchise that finished last in the AL Central with a 65-97 record.
The Royals face the future with a manager hired away from a job as bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays. Before that, he worked with the Cleveland franchise. Those are successful small-market teams that the Royals see as current models for what they aim to achieve here.
That said, Picollo emphasized that the Royals weren’t interviewing those franchises, but Quatraro as a candidate. You’ll hear from Quatraro and Picollo, who met with a small group of reporters after Thursday’s news conference, on today’s episode of The Star’s SportsBeat KC podcast.
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Matt Quatraro found a fit with Kansas City Royals as much as they found a fit in him
J.J. Picollo praises Grifol but says Royals needed to hire outside the KC organization