Royals optimistic heading into 2023 spring training. One reason: ‘There’s only one Salvy’

With young pitching still a storyline for the Royals in 2023, it was comforting for the team to see a familiar face in the clubhouse on the opening day of spring training:

Salvador Perez.

The veteran catcher will play a significant role for the team, both on and off the field.

“There’s only one Salvy,” new manager Matt Quatraro said. “I think most teams would love to have someone with his demeanor and his positivity and the type of player he is. But for this team in particular, I think it’s immeasurable. People can look up to him not only for how he prepares, but also for how he performs.”

Pitchers and catchers reported to Surprise Stadium Wednesday, with those participating in the World Baseball Classic arriving earlier in the week.

Quatraro acknowledged Perez may not be able to achieve his goal of catching for all 162 games and said the team will be strategic in using him at designated hitter.

“We want him in the lineup as many days as possible and we’re going to do our best to pick our spots to figure out how we make that work,” he said.

Perez said he has no personal goals beyond getting the team to where he thinks it belongs.

“Make it to the playoffs. I think we’re close and I think we’re going to compete,” Perez said.

As for his ability to catch all 162 games, Perez was reserved in his expectations: “You know me. I like to play, I like to bend the line, so we’re going to see.”

Not surprisingly, optimism defined the mood in the clubhouse Wednesday.

“Everyone here is excited. We got new staff, new pitching coaches, new manager,” reliever Richard Lovelady said. “Top to bottom, everybody’s ready to get going.”

The Royals are looking to improve significantly from last season, when they finished 65-97, good for last place in the AL Central.

Improvement is the expectation from Quatraro, who was hired shortly after the conclusion of the 2022 season.

Spring training gives him the opportunity to focus on what he believes will be most crucial to the Royals’ success: pitching. He is grateful for the contributions of new pitching coach Brian Sweeney and assistant pitching coach Zach Bove.

“It’s a massive undertaking to organize all of this, and they have been incredible with how they’ve done that,” Quatraro said.

The staff will have to find improvement in the team’s pitching after a 2022 season when the Royals had MLB’s fourth-highest ERA and gave up the second-highest opposing batting average.

“Pitching wins, that’s the history of the game,” Quatraro said. “These guys are going to take a step forward. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

The first-time manager takes on a young group with aspirations to break the club’s six-season losing streak. Quatraro, a former bench coach with the Tampa Bay Rays, replaced Mike Matheny, who had three losing seasons with the Royals before his dismissal in October.

Quatraro will also have to grapple with a series of new rules introduced for the 2023 MLB season, including the pitch clock, larger bases and new limits to defensive shifts.

“What we did is we talked throughout the offseason with the Triple-A staff, the Double-A staff who had experienced it, but they’ve said it’s hard initially for the pitchers, but way more so for the hitters,” he said. “The pitchers get used to it. They’re the ones controlling the timing. When you layer in the pick rule it’s a little different from what they have in the minor leagues. I’m kind of excited to see what happens because I really can’t fathom what it’s going to look like.”

As for the shift restrictions, Quatraro emphasized that the team wants to be ahead of the curve on how to structure its defense.

“We’re going to try to take advantage of it with our athleticism,” Quatraro said. “But yeah, I think you have to do away with the heavy pull-side shift, so that will look different.

“But with our athleticism I think that might play to our advantage.”

The Royals can adjust, players said, and that includes finding a way to win consistently. Royals newcomer Nick Wittgren believes the team can go far.

“I mean, we’re young,” Wittgren said, “but we can definitely show some people something that they’re not expecting.”

To achieve their expectations, the Royals will look to spring training as an opportunity to get familiar with the team and Quatraro as they train and play games throughout the Phoenix area.

“(Familiarity) is important, but everyone has been very open and friendly,” Wittgren said. “It’s been a very welcoming clubhouse, which is nice to come into as a new guy. I feel like I know half these guys already from playing against them for three years.”

The Royals will play their first spring training game against the Texas Rangers on Feb. 24 at Surprise Stadium.

This story was originally published February 16, 2023 at 6:00 AM.