The Kansas City Royals on Sunday announced that Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro has been named as the 18th full-time manager in franchise history.
Quatraro, 48, replaces Mike Matheny at the dugout helm in KC. Matheny was dismissed just after the conclusion of the regular season after guiding the Royals to a 165-219 record over three years. Under Matheny in 2022, the Royals went 65-97 and finished in last place in the American League Central. Those organizational changes also included the dismissal of long-time lead executive Dayton Moore and the elevation of J.J. Picollo to general manager. Quatraro becomes Picollo's hand-picked manager.
"We are extremely excited to have Matt leading our club and core of talent," Picollo said in a statement Sunday. "Matt has great experiences throughout his career that have prepared him for this. He thoroughly impressed us all during our interview process and is clearly respected across the industry. We are looking forward to working alongside Matt to bring winning baseball to our great fans."
"I'm grateful to Mr. [chairman and CEO Bruce] Sherman and the ownership group, J.J. and the front office, and everyone else with the Royals for this opportunity," Quatraro said in that same statement. "I already knew the talent on the roster and how great the fans in Kansas City are, and the interview process convinced me that the terrific things I'd heard about the organization's culture are true. I can't wait to get started, and for my family to get to Kansas City and be part of that community."
Prior to being named Royals manager, Quatraro served as Rays bench coach since 2018. Previoius to that, he served as the Rays' minor-league hitting coordinator and third-base coach. That came after a stint as Cleveland's hitting coach in 2014. In his playing days, Quatraro spent parts of six season in the then-Devil Rays system as a catcher, outfielder, and first baseman. He rose as high as the Triple-A level but never reached the majors. After that, he managed for four seasons at the Single-A level in the Tampa Bay system.
