Royals Extend GM J.J. Picollo Through 2030, Exercise Option On Manager Matt Quatraro
The Kansas City Royals have found a formula they like, and they're sticking to it.
The Royals are coming off a 2024 season in which they won 86 games, a 30-win improvement over 2023, and made the playoffs for the first time in nine years. A team doesn't dramatically improve like that without strong leadership, which Kansas City feels fortunate to have.
Heading into 2025, the Royals have now locked in that leadership for at least the next two years.
On Monday, the Royals extended executive vice president and general manager J.J. Picollo through the 2030 season. They also exercised their 2026 option for manager Matt Quatraro, who could still be an extension candidate further down the line.
Anne Rogers of MLB.com was the first to report the news of owner John Sherman's announcement of both contract decisions.
“This game is about a lot of things, but leadership is incredibly important. I’ve got great confidence in those two guys," Sherman said, per Rogers. "I love the way they work together. You got to have the right people, but stability in leadership is really important, too.”
Picollo, who is entering his 19th year in Kansas City, was promoted to the GM role in 2021. He has overseen a steady increase in spending over the last two seasons and brokered the $288 million extension for superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Quatraro, meanwhile, is entering his third season as Royals manager after serving as the Tampa Bay Rays' bench coach from 2019 to 2022. He has a 142-182 record in his two years with the Royals, thanks to the team's dismal 2023 season that set the stage for their dramatic turnaround.
The Royals still aren't yet where they want to be, but they appear to like where they're headed. Locking down Picollo and Quatraro reaffirms that Kansas City sees themselves as perennial playoff contenders in the coming seasons.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org