Some people within the RoyalsThe managerial transition from Ned Yost, to Mike Matheny, looked like it was a done deal long before Yost announced his retirement. When Matheny joined Kansas City’s front office in 2018, as an advisor to Dayton Moore, several Royals officials noted that Matheny presented the sort of package — a decorated playing career as a catcher, a prior managerial tenure in St. Louis marked mostly by success, not to mention a lantern jaw and stern exterior — that might give him a leg up in the race to replace Yost.
So when Yost stepped down, few were surprised when the team’s search process landed on the man who had spent the previous 11 months looming as the likely replacement. Moore chose Matheny instead of internal candidates such as Vance Wilson and Pedro Grifol. Moore chose Matheny because he believed Matheny was the best man to lead Kansas City in a second rebuilding effort, and get back into playoff contention.
Three years later, Matheny and Moore no longer hold power in Kansas City. John Sherman is the Royals’ owner Moore firedThe team suffered its sixth consecutive loss on Sept. 21 Be concerned about the team’s player-development system. Matheny was named the Next domino to fall, when J.J. Picollo was promoted to general manager. He also fired Matheny and Cal Eldred as pitching coaches, just hours after the Royals had finished a 97-loss year.
Matheny is not the only one to see these changes.
