On one of the back fields at the Royals spring training complex in Surprise, Arizona, Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and Franmil Reyes alternated swings in a batting cage. Which, as an aside, might be the largest trio of hitters the Royals have ever put on the same roster.
It was enough to draw a chunk of the light crowd on Friday afternoon to watch batting practice, including manager Matt Quatraro. About midway through the session, Quatraro walked behind the cage.
But not to observe the swings inside the netting. Instead, initially, he struck up a conversation with the players and coaches outside the perimeter.
His mind left baseball. As do most of these conversations.
“Talking about high school football yesterday with some guys,” Quatraro said.
This has been his routine in the opening weeks of spring training, and the players have noticed it, mostly because it’s a departure.
And a needed one.
A relieving one.
There is an emphasis to change the mood of a clubhouse that grew stressed a year ago, though without putting a literal emphasis on it at all. Which, turns out, is not nearly as tricky as it seems.
It became increasingly clear in 2022 that the Royals’ room had become tense — not that you’d expect dancing and singing in the aftermath of 97 losses. But former manager Mike Matheny’s everyday intensity prompted that tension. That wouldn’t be a revelation to him, either. He talked late in the season about wanting to loosen his clubhouse, instructing guys to show their personalities or requesting that music would be played after games. But instructions felt forced.
Ultimately, the players followed their leader, and Matheny’s natural personality was closer to drill sergeant than camp counselor. The room absorbed that environment, and over the course of a 162-game season, the rigid culture grew exhausting.
I know a takeaway from this will be that it’s a criticism of Matheny, and maybe in a roundabout way, an element of it is. But that’s missing the bigger point. It is more about fit than ability.
As one player said, “I liked Mike as a person. I truly believe he had our best interest. Wholeheartedly cared for guys and their careers. But his tone just wasn’t right for the group we had. Made it tough.”
There was some thought last season that professional baseball players should do what they get paid to do, whether the manager has an intense personality or not. It’s a fine point, and maybe actually the best point for some teams in the league, but not the one comprised of a young group.
Which is back to the fit.
There will be failure with this group in a sport that entices it, and often that failure will come as a collective. But they need to play with some energy, even during those failures — especially during those failures — not have it zapped from them.
That should be one of the advantages of the inexperience. At least have fun when you play. Use the liveliness. Use the enthusiasm.
“That really comes from the players,” Quatraro said, replying to a question about his intended clubhouse culture, and not a commentary on the past one. “The more they’re comfortable, the better chance they have to only worry about that — instead of someone telling them (to) dress like this, listen to this music, whatever rules you impose. Some people like that, and some people don’t. So it’s more trying to find that balance of respecting guys that want more structure and at the same time respecting guys that don’t.”
This isn’t earth-shattering, but fewer and fewer want that forced structure. That’s not only a generational preference but more and more a generational expectation.
The players comprising the Royals clubhouse are largely of a a new generation. They have quickly spotted a different vibe than a year ago. And by quickly, I mean on day one. And by spotted, I mean they were specifically told it would be different.
“He was talking in his first meeting. He said, ‘This is your guys’ locker room. We’re all here to help you, but go out there and have fun,’” recalled infielder Nicky Lopez, who added, “It’s definitely different.”
“He talks about everything,” Pasquantino said.
“Definitely asks a lot of questions — wants to know our opinion on things,” outfielder/catcher MJ Melendez said.
“Really personable and really approachable,” rookie Nate Eaton said. “I mean for young guys, it can be intimidating to talk to the manager. But that’s not how it’s been with him. It’s been open.”
That’s stood out to those present for the opening days and weeks, and the foundation is relevant. But so too will be how it survives the streaks that test that foundation. Spring training tends to breed some optimism. The Royals, after all, are undefeated right now. The next six months will entail bad days and worse weeks.
But this isn’t happening by accident. This isn’t happening because of the time of year. Over the course of interviewing candidates for the job, the Royals did not have the simple objective to find the best baseball mind. They prioritized fit — there’s that word again. And a significant part of that fit is personality. This was part of Quatraro’s reputation.
It is telling, actually, in the way he might as well shrug his shoulders when answering questions about it.
“It’s definitely not my fingerprint or any one person’s fingerprint,” he said. “I think it’s an organizational culture. I think it’s organizational philosophy of treating people the right way — communication, listening. It’s also the staff we’ve put together to really hear what the players have to say. So I think that goes a lot more than someone saying, ‘Hey, you need to act this way.’ I definitely don’t believe in that.”
That’s certainly a refreshing message for players, and they said as much.
There’s skepticism about how much this stuff translates into wins and losses as opposed to just a better pregame and postgame mood. Some of that skepticism is probably valid.
But Lopez made a good point, even if we need to acknowledge it falls within the spirit of that aforementioned spring optimism.
“It definitely correlates, because if you come in and you’re very tense, then you’re not playing free and not being yourself. It’s going to correlate on to the field because you’re going to go out there scared to make mistakes,” Lopez said. “You’re scared that, ‘Oh, if I don’t get a hit this day, I’m not going to be in the lineup tomorrow.’ So to be able to play free and loose and come into a clubhouse that’s loose, it definitely correlates in the game.”
