Quatraro, 52, took over management of the Royals after the 2022 season, replacing Mike Matheny. Before assuming his current role with the Royals, Quatraro served as the bench coach and third base coach for the Rays, as well as an assistant hitting coach in Cleveland. Quatraro’s first year at the helm in Kansas City was disastrous, as his team lost 106 games. That’s a record that can’t be entirely attributed to Quatraro, though, as he inherited a franchise coming off a 97-loss campaign that last finished above .500 in 2015. After an aggressive push for contention during the 2023-2024 offseason, Quatraro managed to lead the Royals back to the playoffs with a respectable 86-76 record.
That was good for second place in the AL Central that year and earned Kansas City a Wild Card spot. They ultimately swept the Orioles out of the playoffs that year before falling to the Yankees in a four-game ALDS. That season earned Quatraro a second-place finish in AL Manager of the Year voting, just behind the Guardians manager Stefan Vogt. After another busy offseason last year, the Royals were hoping to repeat that feat and return to the playoffs. Things didn’t go so well the second time around, as the team finished with a record of 82–80, leaving them five games out of the final Wild Card spot.
Disappointing as that outcome did lead to extra time Seth Lugo And Michael Garcia have suggested that the front office and ownership feel that things are still moving in the right direction, and deals are being made such as Isaac Collins And Matt Strahm further indicate that the Royals are once again entering 2026 with postseason aspirations. That’s exceptional for a Royals club that had enjoyed just four seasons above .500 in the 30 years prior to Quatraro’s ascension to the manager’s chair. Considering the team’s relative success under Quatraro compared to their recent history (despite the club’s back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014-15), it’s hardly a shock that the Royals decided to work out a new deal with their captain rather than let him sit like a lame duck into the 2026 season.
With Quatraro under contract for at least the next four seasons, the Royals will enter a pivotal season for the club with some stability in the dugout. While Kansas City looks to maximize its years with a superstar and franchise face Bobby Witt Jr. under franchise control, they have aggressively added players to the team that will disappear from the books in the coming years. Lugo, Jonathan India, Michael Wacha, Carlos Estevez, Kris BubicAnd Salvador Perez could all reach free agency this offseason or next season. Another disappointing season could put the team in a dire situation given the owner’s apparent reluctance to add more to a payroll already at franchise record levels. A return to the playoffs, on the other hand, could cement this as one of the franchise’s best stretches in recent memory.
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