Anne Rogers covers the press conference announcing Matt Quatraro’s contract extension.
“[Quatraro] understands the vision of the organization, the vision of ownership, and he carries that on through to our coaching staff and our players,” general manager J.J. Picollo said Monday. “I think even more important, when we try to think about what makes good managers and good leaders, they’re not afraid to ask questions. And I think [Quatraro’s] inquisitiveness, his curiosity – not only with the front office
but also our pro scouts, our development guys – is next to none. He has a lot of great questions. He’s challenging in a very healthy way, and I think that’s why we’ve been able to have such a great working relationship.
Jaylon Thompson notes that Quatraro got a call from one of his players.
One of those conversations stood out. It was from first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.
“He congratulated me,” Quatraro said Monday, “and then he said, ‘You’re welcome.’”
Quatraro shared that funny story during a Zoom call that included general manager J.J. Picollo and Chris Quatraro, the Royals manager’s wife. It’s unusual for a spouse to join a media call, but she wanted to praise Kansas City for being a great place to raise a family.
Craig Brown reacts to the extension for the manager.
Just as important as his relationships and trust among his players, Quatraro is the right guy to distill the analytics and implement that information into game situations. He’s not a conventional manager. He’s a creative one.
I’ve just been impressed by Quatraro from almost his first day in charge. A steady hand…a smart guy…someone who understand that process doesn’t always resolve the way it should, but that’s not going to prevent him from using all of the tools at his disposal.
From a “staff” report at The Athletic:
“He’s a genius mind,” Bobby Witt Jr. said after the Royals reached the postseason in 2024. “He’s been the perfect guy to lead us.”
If Bob thinks you’re a genius, you’re good in my book.
At the Kansas City Business Journal, Thomas Friestad writes about the possibility of East Village becoming an option again for a potential ballpark. [$]
No alternative plans have materialized for the East Village in the 21 months since the vote. In a year-end interview, the Kansas City Business Journal asked Lucas whether anything would preclude the Royals from revisiting the East Village for a stadium.
“There is not from a Kansas City government perspective. There is not from any factor that we would look to,” Lucas said Tuesday. “Obviously, there are real estate realities. There are different owners in that area, and there are conversations necessarily that would need to happen with them. But from the viewpoint of local government, there’s no material impediment that we would impose as to any site in Kansas City proper. … My view would be ultimately that that would be something for the team to evaluate. We’d be happy to stand with them and work with them as we look to come to whatever solutions.”
Jim Bowden at The Athletic writes that the Royals are one of the most improved teams this offseason. [$]
The Royals wanted to improve their outfield and although their first choice would have been to trade with Boston for Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu, they did a solid job by dealing for the Brewers’ Isaac Collins and signing Lane Thomas in free agency.
Both players are platoon-type outfielders but with Matt Quatraro managing they’ll be in great shape in terms of getting the most out of both players. Thomas can really rake against left-handed pitchers (.292/.359/.500 against lefties over his career), although he doesn’t hit well against right-handers. Collins was one of the better rookie outfielders in the NL in 2025, playing well defensively and getting on-base at a good clip while stealing 16 bases.
The best move they made was landing left-handed reliever Matt Strahm from the Phillies in a trade. Strahm, who began his big-league career in KC, punched out 70 batters in 62 1/3 innings with a 1.075 WHIP and 2.74 ERA for the Phillies in 2025. He’ll join Lucas Erceg in setting up for closer Carlos Estévez.
Preston Farr has a new Substack, and he ranks top Royals prospects.
LHP David Shields (125.0 OVS)
As great as Jensen is as a prospect, Shields is right there with him with a 125 Overall Value Score (OVS). The 19-year old has all the makings of a future big-league ace, showcasing impressive potential from the left side. He uses smooth, repeatable mechanics and a nasty slider to dominate hitters. John Lamb pitched the most dominant minor league season of the last 20 years for the Royals back in 2010, but Shields was right there with him in 2025.
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