The 2022 regular season of Major League Baseball has barely come to an end when the Kansas City Royals have already cut ties with head coach Mike Matheny.
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General manager JJ Picollo made the announcement Wednesday night, hours after the Royals lost 9-2 (65-97) to the Cleveland Guardians. Pitching instructor Cal Eldred was also released by the team.
The Kansas City squad had already exercised the 2023 option on Matheny’s contract this spring. The 52-year-old ultimately fell short this year, leading the rebuilding Royals to the second-worst record in the American League.
During his three-season reign, the Missouri reps went 165-219 and never finished past fourth in the Central Division.
Matheny enjoyed great success in his early days as a manager with the St. Louis Cardinals. From 2013 to 2015, he led the club to three consecutive National Central section titles. The “Cards” had also lost in the final of the World Series in 2013. The coach was fired in mid-season 2018.
As a player, the former catcher spent 13 seasons in major league baseball, playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. He was a four-time recipient of a Gold Glove.
Matheny is the fifth coach to be let go this season, the first since Chris Woodward at the Texas Rangers on Aug. 15.