The Kansas City Royals announced Wednesday night that manager Mike Matheny had been sacked. Cal Eldred, the pitching coach, was also fired as part of the news. Dayton Moore had just recently been let go by the Royals, ending his 16-year employment with the team and ushering in a new era. J.J. Piccolo, another stalwart of the front office, has since been promoted to the top position.
52-year-old Matheny had just finished the Royals’ third season under his leadership. His poorest season was this year, and at that time he had compiled a record of 165-219 (.430 winning percentage).
Matheny managed the St. Louis Cardinals for a portion of seven seasons before switching to the Kansas City Royals. He had a lot more success there, winning a pennant and 55.5 percent of his games.
The latest manager to be replaced before the upcoming season is Matheny. Most recently, Don Mattingly and Tony La Russa’s departures from the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox for 2023 were revealed. The Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels appear to be potential buyers as well. While everything is going on, the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies must decide whether the temporary managers who got them to the postseason are deserving of the permanent positions.