Ned

Yost

Royals catching coach Pedro Grifol and special advisor to player development Mike Matheny are also known to be in the running to replace Ned Yost, with some viewing Matheny as the favorite. Word is there are multiple external candidates from outside the organization, but those names have not been revealed in any reports. Royals GM Dayton Moore told Flanagan that there is currently no timetable for the hire.

Matheny joined on with the Royals as a special advisor to player development after getting fired as manager of the Cardinals in the middle of the 2018 season. Grifol, meanwhile, served as the Royals’ catching and quality control coach this year. Ned Yost officially retired from his post in Kansas City on Sunday, and it sounds like a new skipper could be in place within the next week or so.

Ned Yost announced Monday that he was retiring after the season, so the Royals will be on the lookout for a new skipper. Wilson serves as the team’s bullpen coach, while Grifol (who interviewed for the Orioles’ job last winter) is the catching and quality control coach. There’s also been speculation that Kansas City could look to former Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, who is a special advisor to player development with the Royals.

Yost goes out as the winningest manager in Royals franchise history, and also the only manager to lead the club to consecutive World Series appearances. He won a ring in 2015, after losing in the Fall Classic to the Giants in 2014. Yost, who began his managerial career with the Brewers back in 2003, will finish 32nd all-time in games managed with 2,544, three more than Hall of Fame skipper Earl Weaver.

Matheny will “contribute in a variety of areas that will include player development and scouting.” It’s worth noting that manager Ned Yost will be entering his final year under contract in 2019, so Matheny would figure to be a candidate to replace him if he doesn’t return for 2020.

Matheny’s name hasn’t come up in relation to any managerial openings, but it would appear Kansas City is interested in bringing him aboard in another capacity. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was first to report on the Royals’ interest in Matheny.

Yost’s deal had been set to expire after this season, but he will now be back for at least one more year. The Royals have the second-worst record in baseball this season and are set for another rebuilding year in 2019.

Moore said the two haven’t discussed a contract yet, but it sounds like that will happen eventually. The Royals have made strides this season with an 83-74 record with five games to play, but most would probably argue that Yost had little to do with the improvement. Overall, Yost is 281-327 with Kansas City.

Yost is being rewarded after the Royals finished this season at 86-76, their best record since 1989. His contract was set to expire after 2013, so the new deal will carry him through 2015.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore and owner David Glass have already commented publicly that they would like Yost back, so it seems like it’s just a matter or ironing out the details.