Kansas City Royals made new front-office hire with an eye on the stadium project
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals hired Cullen Maxey as president of business operations.
- Brooks Sherman shifts to president of real estate and leads stadium search.
- Club evaluates multiple Kansas City area sites, vows to keep team local.
The Kansas City Royals welcomed Cullen Maxey to the organization on Monday afternoon.
Maxey, who arrives from the Arizona Diamondbacks, sat adjacent to Royals owner John Sherman in the Mike Swanson interview room. It was his first official day with the organization as KC’s new president of business operations.
“I know what that brand stands for and I know what these fans are like here,” Maxey said. “And I was excited. I was in on this before even hearing about the opportunity and learning about John and Brooks (Sherman) and what was being developed here.”
Maxey will oversee all departments outside of baseball operations. His arrival shifts Brooks Sherman — no relation to John — to a new position.
Brooks Sherman has become the Royals’ president of real estate and development. His job will be focused on the club’s pursuit to build a new stadium in the Kansas City area.
The Royals are exploring possible stadiums in different locations. The club recently generated a fan survey that asked for opinions on a variety of topics — from fan experience to surrounding stadium development.
Some potential stadium locations include: in or near downtown Kansas City, Clay County/North Kansas City and Johnson County/Overland Park.
John Sherman reiterated that the Royals haven’t picked a final location. The team is still evaluating options and gathering information.
“I will just tell you there’s no news to report on our stadium process,” John Sherman said. “These are complex, multi-jurisdiction public and private partnerships. They always take longer than any of us hope. And you know, they really should take a long time. It’s a generational decision and we’ve got to get it right.”
The Royals are committed to keeping the organization in Kansas City — a fulfillment invoked by former owner Ewing Kauffman. Maxey is expected to work in tandem with Brooks Sherman, while helping formulate ideas to expand the Royals’ brand and marketability.
“Rarely do you have an opportunity to build a stadium,” Maxey said. “And knowing that the vision here is to replicate a little bit of what was done in Atlanta, where they took a role like Brooks — where it’s a massive role developing a mixed-use development and you are creating a stadium. They created a separate president for that, president of business and president of baseball. They clearly are organized to make this a success. That’s very appealing.”
The Royals look to build a stadium that can appeal to multiple pockets of fans. Maxey spent 20 seasons with the Diamondbacks organization and helped oversee the planning of the Salt River Fields Complex and an entertainment district in Phoenix.
Additionally, Maxey played a key role in the Diamondbacks moving to a team-managed multi-distribution platform from a regional sports network.
The Royals continued their partnership with FanDuel Sports Network for the 2026 season. Both FanDuel and the Royals had a mutual option that was picked up. The contract will expire after next year.
Maxey would like to create more access for Royals fans to watch games.
“The No. 1 part of that vision will be to increase reach for everybody that wants to consume Royals games,” Maxey said.
Maxey will spend time adjusting to his new role with the Royals. He has ideas for fan engagement and creating new initiatives heading into the 2026 season.
The Royals’ stadium plans are top of mind for the organization. Maxey will allow for an easier distribution in the front office on both fronts.
“This is a day that helps change our organization and prepare us for the future,” John Sherman said.
