4 Best Managerial Fits for Royals

It was inevitable, though not definitively clear as to when it would materialize, that veteran Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost would be retiring in the near future.

With the franchise in the midst of their first true rebuild since Yost took over in 2010, the 64-year-old manager opted to call it quits at the end of the 2019 campaign.

As one of the best skippers in the MLB, the former World Series champ leaves a gaping hole in the organization, but there are a plethora of options out there who could prove to be tremendous conductors to lead the Royals into the dawn of a new era. Here's a look at options for the club moving forward.

4. John Farrell

Say what you will about Farrell, but he has a World Series title to his name. Sure, the Red Sox finished with losing records in the two years that followed, but Farrell was able to squeeze out back-to-back 93-win campaigns in 2016 and 2017 before Boston let him go in favor of Alex Cora. He is rumored to be considered for the Angels managerial position, but Joe Maddon appears destined to assume that role. Therefore, the Royals should aggressively pursue Farrell, as he's presently itching to get back into managing and they might not be able to land some of the other bigger fish currently on the market.

3. Pedro Grifol

What Grifol has going for him, other than his extended tenure with the franchise, is his palpable development of franchise cornerstones Salvador Perez, Adalberto Mondesi and Jorge Soler. He's served as a special assignment coach, hitting coach, minor league coach, catching coach and presently holds the role of the Royals' catching/quality control coach. The only thing missing from that signifiant list of jobs is the elusive skipper role.

2. Dale Sveum

Ned Yost is (obviously) a fan favorite in Kansas City and he and Sveum's relationship goes back to 2006, when he joined Yost's coaching staff in Milwaukee. In 2014, Sveum came over to KC and has since then manned several roles, including third base coach, hitting coach and bench coach, a position he is currently serving. He has a good relationship with the Royals braintrust as well.

1. Mike Matheny

Is anybody else absolutely bewildered that Matheny didn't hold a managerial role in the 2019 season? Across seven years managing the Cardinals, Matheny finished with a 591-474 record, good for a .555 winning percentage, including a NL Pennant back in 2013. The 49-year-old skipper spent the past year as a special adviser for player development for the Royals. Couple his impressive resume with his in-house ties, and Matheny is clearly the best fit for KC's vacant skipper position.