Report: Royals Finish First Round of Interviews for Manager Job
As the MLB postseason winds down, clubs who either didn't qualify or got eliminated are getting head starts on their respective offseasons. The Kansas City Royals slot into that first category, and the club's search for a new manager is officially well underway.
Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Kansas City's first round of interviews for its managerial vacancy has been completed:
Pedro Grifol, Vance Wilson and Scott Thorman have all gone through first round interviews for the Royals managerial opening, according to sources, in addition to the external candidates (including Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, as reported last week).
- Anne Rogers (@AnneRogers) on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 10:23 a.m. CST
At the end of the season, executive vice president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo announced that there would be internal candidates for the job. Among them is Pedro Grifol, who has garnered interest from multiple other teams for their managerial openings.
Joining Grifol is third base coach Vance Wilson and Triple-A Omaha manager Scott Thorman, whom Rogers notes has made a significant impact on Kansas City's young players during their time with the Storm Chasers in the minor leagues. Thorman also worked with the Royals' major league staff near the All-Star break when the club was missing multiple pieces for its series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Elsewhere for the Royals, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported last week that Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro has already interviewed for the Royals' job. He has a connection with current Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman from their time together with the Cleveland Guardians. He's one of the most popular names on the coaching market right now.
Quatraro joined Philadelphia Phillies third base coach Dusty Wathan as an opening-round interviewee. Wathan, son of former Royals player and coach John Wathan, interviewed with Kansas City on Thursday, October 20. The former Eastern League Manager of the Year has been considered for big-league managerial jobs in the past and is another name whose star should continue to shine relatively bright throughout the interview process with teams before they ultimately make their final decisions.
In a recent article, Rogers elaborated on the Royals' search for a new manager. In addition to reporting that Quatraro remained a favorite for the job, she provided some more insight as to what type of skipper the club is looking for in the post-Mike Matheny era:
The Royals are looking for a manager who can communicate with the players well, not only by the implementation of data but also by establishing a good clubhouse culture. How that translates into wins is to be determined, but the new manager will be imperative to moving Kansas City past its rebuild in the coming years.
