Dayton Moore was the architect of 2015 World Series champion Kansas City RoyalsBut the president of baseball operations, the steward of a team that was in its sixth consecutive losing season has been fired. John Sherman, the owner of the Royals, announced his firing Wednesday at a press conference. This could be the first of many major changes that will take place for a team that has fallen far short of expectations in 2022.
“Dayton resurrected this franchise. It was not in a good spot,” Sherman said Wednesday. “Today I want to make sure that my feeling is gratitude.”
Moore was the Royals’ manager since 2006. His long-serving lieutenant J.J. Picollo took over as general manger at the close of the 2021 season.
“I’m really thankful for the opportunity,” Moore told The Athletic. “I’m proud of our culture and what we accomplished in Kansas City. I’m disappointed we weren’t able to see it through. But I have confidence in John Sherman, J.J. Picollo and the entire baseball operations department to finish it off.”
Moore’s era will end with a club stocked with intriguing talent, like 22-year-old shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.However, they are struggling to compete at the top-league level. Mike Matheny, the Royals’ manager who was granted an option for 2023 on March 31, remains in doubt. The Royals were 22 games behind the American League Central lead when they entered Wednesday. It has been difficult for the team to create a second generation to replace Alex Gordon and others from home. Eric HosmerAnd Mike MoustakasThe team was led by Jeremy, who won back-to-back American League pennants for the team in 2014 and 2015.
Go Deeper
The rebuild of the Royals was supposed to be built upon pitching. What’s the problem?
Moore took over a franchise that was in ruins when he arrived on the scene in 2006. Since 1985, the Royals hadn’t reached the postseason. Moore and his crew rebuilt the club to be a champion by persevering with patience. After players such as Lorenzo Cain, Lorenzo Cain and Hosmer left in free agency, the franchise was unable to transition into a new phase.
The team was relying on the collection of pitchers selected in the first two rounds. Five years later, there was only one. Brady Singer, was thriving in the majors, leading to questions about the viability of the team’s development system, a necessity for a franchise that declines to spend lavishly in free agency. Sherman had previously been a minority shareholder in the Royals before they purchased them in 2019. Cleveland GuardiansThey have created a pitching system despite similar budgetary constraints.
Moore, 55 years old, moved to Kansas City following a long apprenticeship at the Atlanta Braves. He started his career in college coaching and often refers to this history when discussing his future.
“I certainly expect to stay in baseball,” Moore said. “I want to stay in baseball. I’m a coach by nature. My one fault was not staying with players enough. However, coaches are there for their players. That’s what they do. That’s how they are wired.”
(Photo by Dayton Moore: Ed Zurga/Getty Images).
