Major League ball clubs typically have one expectation from the fans… Win. The Royals haven’t done much of that recently, yet very little of that has fallen on the managers. Before the new age front office moved in and Quatraro became the new face, there was minimal talent to field a winning team. Going into 2024, we have the chance to see what Manager Matt Quatraro can do with options at almost every position.
Offseason Additions
Matt Quatraro was relatively limited at multiple positions in his first year with the club. J.J. Piccolo came into 2023 with the expectation of weeding out the stragglers and locking in on who to build around. The Royals struggled heavily, as expected, finishing last season with a 56-106 record. The front office was then able to use one of the worst seasons in Royals history and zero in on the most significant problems plaguing the team. They picked up historically consistent hitters for outfield slots and reliable starters. Among those are some notable names: Hunter Renfroe, Micheal Wacha, Seth Lugo, and Adam Frazier. At the very least, all have had great seasons within the last few years. They also bolstered the bullpen with additions such as Will Smith, Matt Sauer, and John Schrieber (among plenty of others). At the very least, fans cannot enable management in the dugout to have nothing to work with by the season’s end.
Where The Last Guy Failed
With Mike Matheny, there was a bit of a quick trigger when the new ownership took over. There was nothing much to work with, but he also seemed to struggle to capitalize off of what he did have. All things considered, he was out the door as soon as ownership fired the guy who hired him. Bullpen management was something tossed around a lot with him, though. When his underperforming teams did find themselves fighting late in games, there was no extra thought into who would throw. This became an even bigger issue when position players started having to throw innings much more often than necessary. The team stopped having the availability of the few high-leverage guys we had for high-leverage situations. Leads dwindled when they didn’t have a lead to give up. 5-run lead pitchers would have to come in 2-run games with no rested depth to speak of.
Q’s Bottom Line
There’s a pretty open expectation for Matt Quatraro going into year two. Expecting even a division with the current roster would be pretty audacious. There are pieces, of course, and the AL Central is possibly the weakest division in baseball. That being said, there is a limit to the change a team can make in one offseason. At the very least, we can hold Quatraro to earnest improvement and good decision-making in as many late-game scenarios as possible.
I highly doubt Matt Quatraro suffers the same fate as Matheny. His first year saw the development of young players, and he maintained an almost zen-like attitude in the dugout. He remained so calm that I saw fans frustrated that he hadn’t been thrown out of a game after a few run-ins between young guys and umpires. There’s a 70-win team in that dugout for 2024. There are enough questions that we still may not see that number. If Matt Quatraro wants to make a statement, though, he can use this season to get the most out of his players and continue to develop younger guys with his coaching staff.
What Statement Could He Make
The Baltimore Orioles had many articles written about their ability to go from the number one draft pick to the number one team in the AL. They did so by stringing together great draft picks and making smart moves on the market. The Royals won’t do that, do not get your hopes up. There has been a lot of chatter that the Central is weak enough that a revamped Royals lineup could compete. If there is any way for Matt Quatraro to exceed a lack of expectations, it would be to go out and win the division.
The rotation looks to be worlds better than last year, multiple infielders look to improve upon solid foundations they have set in their young careers, and the bullpen has quietly transformed into the best in the AL Central. The outfield looks to be the main, and only, major weakness with this team. Second base could also suffer a little but needs to sit around average and play solid defense. At the end of the day, even poor hitters on this team project to play solid defense at their respective positions. If there are any surprises on this team, they lie solely on two teams known for underperforming to underperform.
Matt Quatraro is about as safe as a second-year manager can be. We would like to see a few things from him with new weapons available to him, of course. He will not have to turn heads or shatter ceilings to do these things. What determines Q’s success this season relies on whether or not he can clearly distinguish himself from bench coach to Major League manager.