Kansas City Royals Name J.J. Picollo President of Baseball Operations
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Wednesday afternoon, Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman announced via press conference that longtime front office leader Dayton Moore has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately.
In his place, the Royals will promote general manager J.J. Picollo to president of baseball operations.
Picollo was the first hire Moore made when he became the Royals' general manager in June of 2006. Picollo started with the Royals as the director of player development and was named the club's general manager towards the end of the 2021 Major League Baseball season.
Picollo, 52, played college baseball at North Carolina State before transferring to George Mason. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in two different drafts, but declined to sign either time. Picollo did however sign with the Yankees as an undrafted free agent, playing a total of five games in Short-A, upon the completion of his college career.
Picollo got his start working in baseball in 1999 as a scout for the Atlanta Braves.
"It's not change in the culture," Royals president John Sherman said Wednesday of the front office shakeup. "We care about people but we want to win baseball games....I'm not only tired of losing, I'm tired of picking high in the draft."
Since winning the World Series in 2015, the Royals have not recorded a winning season.
“I’m disappointed we weren’t able to see it through," Moore said Wednesday of the Royals' rebuild. "But I have confidence in John Sherman, J.J. Picollo and the entire baseball operations department to finish it off.”
Entering play Wednesday, the Royals are 59-89 this season, fourth in the American League Central.
Last month, MLB.com ranked the Kansas City Royals' farm system as the 21st-best in the sport.
