The Royals announced they have signed manager Matt Quatraro to a three-year contract extension through 2029, with a club option for 2030. Quatraro was in the last year of his deal. Quatraro is coming off
an 82-win season, the first back-to-back winning seasons in club history since 2014-15. In three seasons, he has a record of 224-262, winning 56 games in 2023, then improving by 30 wins to make the playoffs with an 86-76 record in 2024.
The Royals have embraced a more data-driven approach since J.J. Picollo took over and hired Quatraro to run the dugout. Picollo has a contract through 2030 with a club option for 2031. The team has significantly improved the pitching staff under htheirwatch, and while the offense has struggled, some young hitters have emerged such as Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Maikel Garcia. The Royals dismissed assistant hitting coaches Keoni DeRenne and Joe Dillon last season, but retained hitting coach Alec Zumwalt. Quatraro has been criticized for being too laid back when the team has umpire calls against them, but others have praised his even-keel approach and calm leadership over a long season.
Most fanbases have some criticism of their manager, and Royals fans are no different. But ultimately, the game is about winning, and Quatraro has lifted a team that didn’t win more than 74 games in any season from 2018 to 2023 and made them a contender. The expectations have now been raised, and it remains to be seen if Quatraro can bring the team into serious championship contention on a regular basis. But the franchise seems to be on the right path and now they have some continuity in the front office and dugout to see if the braintrust can take the organization to the next level.
What do you think about extending Matt Quatraro?
