The White Sox are now the only managerial opening remaining.
This afternoon, it was reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN that Matt Quatraro, the bench coach of the Tampa Bay Rays, will be the next manager of the Kansas City Royals. He becomes the third manager to be hired this offseason, following Bruce Bochy (Rangers) and Skip Schumaker (Marlins).
With Bobby Witt Jr, MJ Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino, Brady Singer, and others, the Royals have a decent crop of young talent that Quatraro will get to inherit. A first-time manager, Quatraro will get the ability to grow as his team does, as the Royals look to soon become a force in the AL Central.
When it comes to analytically-driven franchises, there really is no better place to turn than the Tampa Bay Rays. Quatraro, 48, has been a name connected to managerial openings for several years. He has been the bench coach for Kevin Cash since 2018, and before that, spent time with the Cleveland Guardians (assistant hitting coach). Within the Rays’ organization, Quatraro has also served as the minor league hitting coordinator (2010-2013). Quatraro comes in as a very experienced major league coach who has seen success in a well-run organization.
This decision by the Royals, as previously mentioned, leaves the White Sox as the only managerial opening heading toward the end of October. The only thing we know: it won’t be Joe Espada, who was reportedly ruled out of the White Sox search earlier this week. This is according to a report by MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, though the White Sox have not yet confirmed the news that was relayed by an MLB.com source.
With Espada and Quatraro no longer in the picture for the White Sox, the organization’s supposed list of managerial candidates currently sits at four: Miguel Cairo, Ron Washington, Pedro Grifol, and Ozzie Guillen. Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long has also been a name thrown around, though it’s not yet clear if he’s met with the team. According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, Pedro Grifol may be gaining more steam as well.
Until the World Series ends, news related to managerial hiring is often fairly quiet and/or left to off days. The hiring for the Royals fell into the latter category here. But, with the White Sox as the only opening still available, they can rest assured that no further candidates will really be “stolen” from them – they have the ability to pick from whoever they want.
When the White Sox eventually make a decision, we will keep you updated.
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