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Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro sat calmly as he fielded questions from reporters at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida, on Monday.<\/p>\n
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He was a seasoned pro.<\/p>\n
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Quatraro \u2014 who enters his fourth season as manager \u2014 spoke fondly of young prospects Jac Caglianone, Carter Jensen and Noah Cameron. He also expressed confidence that the Royals could turn things around and return to the postseason.<\/p>\n
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And he evoked quintessential references in Royals history \u2014 turning back the clock to when Willie Wilson and Steve Balboni roamed Kauffman Stadium.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s an exciting team to be around,\u201d Quatraro said. \u201cThese guys compete and they prepare. They\u2019re good to each other. It\u2019s an easy clubhouse. These guys have a very common goal of understanding what our end goal is, and that\u2019s to win a World Series.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Royals have improved under Quatraro. He guided the club to consecutive winning seasons<\/a> after a dismal 106 losses in 2023. The Royals also acquired better talent \u2014 such as Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha \u2014 while seeing young talent in Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia flourish as All-Stars.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Quatraro remains under contract through the 2026 season. Last February, the Royals exercised a club option<\/a> on his three-year deal. The Royals say they haven\u2019t begun negotiations but plan to explore a possible new contract.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe will deal with that at the right time,\u201d Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. \u201cObviously, we like (Quatraro), but that was why we wanted to pick up that year (club option) last year. Just so we didn\u2019t have to worry about it. But we\u2019ll figure out when the right time is to talk about that one.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Quatraro owns a 224-262 record with the Royals. The players appreciate his daily approach to the game and have responded to him. Now, Quatraro is tasked with trying to get the team back to the playoffs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things I\u2019m focusing on for myself and the staff is just making sure we know the players as well as we possibly can,\u201d Quatraro said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals enter 2026 with a wealth of starting pitching. It\u2019s likely they pursue a trade for an outfielder who can bolster the offense. Quatraro said the team will rely on pitching and defense as its calling card.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n However, the addition of an impact bat will help Witt, Garcia, Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino in the middle of the order.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So far, the Royals have been rumored to have interest in free agents<\/a> such as Austin Hays, Harrison Bader and Mike Yastrzemski. The trade market hasn\u2019t moved, but the Royals reportedly checked in on Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran and St. Louis Cardinals standout Brendan Donovan.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Quatraro has shown the ability to win in the playoffs. If the Royals can add to their current roster, the club has the talent to win the American League Central. KC fell just short against the New York Yankees<\/a> in the ALDS in 2024.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n However, the Royals gained confidence with an AL Wild Card victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Quatraro will look to guide the Royals back there and believes the team can get it done.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEach guy is completely different in how we reach one guy,\u201d Quatraro said. \u201cThat might not be the same for the other. So knowing them on a deeper level and same with the staff understanding what makes each person tick that much more. Hopefully, that leads to more harmony to help us through those tough times and get over the hump.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals added to Quatraro\u2019s staff this offseason. The additions of new hitting coaches Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames<\/a> should help the offense. Mike McFerran was hired as a new assistant pitching coach.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe have two new assistant hitting coaches and I think their skill sets will help us evolve in our processes,\u201d Quatraro said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How the Royals fare in 2026 will be worth monitoring. It\u2019s an important season for the club, which is expected to operate in win-now mode.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey all understand that we\u2019re going to be that competitive, relentless and selfless team that really gets after it,\u201d Quatraro said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n