{"id":2080913,"date":"2025-10-10T02:45:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T02:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2080913"},"modified":"2025-10-10T02:45:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T02:45:51","slug":"overreacting-to-royals-owner-john-shermans-mlb-com-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/overreacting-to-royals-owner-john-shermans-mlb-com-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Overreacting to Royals owner John Sherman\u2019s MLB.com interview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"zephr-anchor\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">John Sherman may not have joined his general manager and field manager for their recent <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.royalsreview.com\/hok-talk\/88406\/overreacting-to-the-royals-end-of-season-press-conference\">postseason press conference<\/a>, but that doesn\u2019t mean he doesn\u2019t have anything to say. Instead, he gave an <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/go.skimresources.com\/?id=1025X1734621&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlb.com%2Froyals%2Fnews%2Froyals-owner-john-sherman-discusses-2025-26-offseason\" rel=\"sponsored\">individual interview<\/a> to MLB.com\u2019s Royals beat writer, Anne Rogers. And what would Royals Review be if I didn\u2019t find some things to say about it?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p><h2 class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup\">He approves of the work done by team leadership<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Anne, naturally, asked John about how he felt about the performance of the team\u2019s most public-facing leaders, general manager J.J. Picollo and manager Matt Quatraro. His answer about Picollo could be held up as the encyclopedia definition for saying nothing while appearing to say a lot. It\u2019s the sort of thing that has always made me <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.royalsreview.com\/2021\/5\/29\/22458271\/hok-talk-media-availability-and-mental-health\">question the usefulness<\/a> of these sorts of interviews and press conferences, which are often treated by their subjects as publicity opportunities more than potential avenues for expanding fan knowledge or understanding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">First, the words from the man\u2019s own mouth:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<blockquote class=\"duet--article--blockquote _1teeyfa0 ls9zuh9\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1\">\u201cI feel good about J.J.\u2019s body of work,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cHe\u2019s kind of a hustler as a general manager. He is working hard. He\u2019s hard on himself \u2026 but he approaches this the right way. He cares deeply about the players, but he cares more about the team and the organization, and that\u2019s the way he conducts himself.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">So, basically, J.J. works hard and he cares about the people he works with and the organization he works for. That describes the <em>vast<\/em> majority of people in the world. It doesn\u2019t actually tell us anything about how well he does his job. Sure, it has the general tone of praise. But so did the things Picollo said about the hitting coaches and Jonathan India, and none of that prevented him from letting most of the former go or has dimmed the rumors that the latter won\u2019t be in Kansas City next season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Sherman had something a bit more concrete to say about Quatraro, however (emphasis mine):<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<blockquote class=\"duet--article--blockquote _1teeyfa0 ls9zuh9\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1\">\u201cI think [Quatraro] is one of the smartest managers in baseball,\u201d Sherman said. \u201c<strong>He processes a lot of information<\/strong> \u2013 J.J. talks about, he says, \u2018I can\u2019t even keep up with him, he\u2019s so far ahead planning in the game.\u2019 [\u2026]\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Sure, that\u2019s not exactly earth-shattering information, but at least it\u2019s something concrete about the <em>quality<\/em> of work Quatraro does instead of just the <em>amount<\/em> of work. It builds my confidence in Q as a manager who will continually adapt his strategies as more information comes in. As fans, it\u2019s easy to wish things would happen faster than they do, but things have changed remarkably quickly under Picollo and Quatraro\u2019s leadership compared to most franchises and especially compared to how things were done in KC before they took over. Processing lots of information is where that starts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p><h2 class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup\">He claims wins are more important than profits<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Later in the interview, Rogers asked Sherman about the payroll. Sherman, naturally, gave similarly vague answers to the ones Picollo provided a few days earlier. The last bit Rogers included on the subject intrigues me, though:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<blockquote class=\"duet--article--blockquote _1teeyfa0 ls9zuh9\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1\">\u201cWe have to win, right? [\u2026] It\u2019d be great if you can have an $80 million payroll and pull it off. [\u2026] we had to make that investment after \u201923 to give us a shot in the arm. If we can be competitive at a lesser dollar rate, that\u2019s great. But we have found ourselves in a situation where we have to invest at a higher level, and it\u2019s important to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Those of you who read me regularly know that I <em>despise<\/em> excuses that teams make for not spending more. I\u2019ve argued since before I ever joined Royals Review that baseball would be healthier if MLB owners treated it as a hobby that they invest money into for the sake of enjoyment instead of as a business from which they need to draw profits.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Given that MLB owners &#8211; outside the Mets\u2019 Steven Cohen &#8211; seem disinclined to acquiesce to my request, having an owner who is willing to accept lesser profits in the name of seeking wins feels like an absolute breath of fresh air. This statement stands in stark contrast to what you\u2019d hear from most owners and front office executives. Sherman is outright saying that it is important to win. <em>Twice<\/em>. Seriously, when was the last time you heard someone in a position of power in baseball say that flat out without a multitude of self-serving caveats?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Given that attitude, and the fact that his actions have backed up his words for two years running, I find it hard to fault him for hoping to someday compete at a lesser cost. The only qualification I will offer is that he cites the Brewers as a team that has been able to win reasonably consistently in recent history with a lower payroll &#8211; Rogers indicates they spent something around $15-20 million less than the Royals this year while winning their division. Sure, the Brewers are a very good, very cost-effective team. But they\u2019re also a team, much like the Rays, without a lot of player loyalty. Corbin Burnes was traded two offseasons ago because he was becoming too expensive. Willy Adames was allowed to leave in free agency last offseason for the same reason.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">That isn\u2019t to say the Brewers never spend &#8211; Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio aren\u2019t getting paid peanuts &#8211; but Bobby Witt Jr. is going to far outstrip both of those players combined if he plays his entire contract or &#8211; more likely &#8211; renegotiates before his opt out becomes available. Does that leave room for other fan favorites such as Cole Ragans, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Maikel Garcia? Heck, does it leave room for future fan favorites, Jac Caglianone, Carter Jensen, or David Shields?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p><h2 class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup\">The silence about the new stadium is deafening<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">There wasn\u2019t a single mention &#8211; oblique or direct &#8211; to the Royals\u2019 stadium situation in Anne Rogers\u2019 published interview. Given her experience and proven ability as a journalist, I doubt that she failed to ask such a question. The lack of a printed response would seem to indicate he either refused to give one or gave such a non-answer that she or her editor felt no need to bother wasting digital ink on adding it to the story. Either way, the Royals continue to get further and further from their self-imposed July deadline for having new information about such a project without providing <em>any <\/em>information. This, after failing to meet any sort of reasonable deadline for information to the public prior to a vote in 2024 to earmark tax dollars for such an endeavor, does not instill any kind of hope in me for the process being in a good place.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.royalsreview.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John Sherman may not have joined his general manager and field manager for their recent postseason press conference, but that doesn\u2019t mean he doesn\u2019t have anything to say. Instead, he gave an individual interview to MLB.com\u2019s Royals beat writer, Anne Rogers. And what would Royals Review be if I didn\u2019t find some things to say [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2080914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[242317,340874],"class_list":["post-2080913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-royalty","tag-hok-talk","tag-royals-editorials-reactions"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Overreacting-to-Royals-owner-John-Shermans-MLBcom-interview.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2080913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2080913"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2080913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2080915,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2080913\/revisions\/2080915"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2080914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2080913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2080913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2080913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}