Skip to content

Report: Matheny remains strong favorite for Royals' managerial job

Joe Sargent / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Mike Matheny may not have to look outside of Missouri for his next major-league managing position.

The former St. Louis Cardinals skipper remains the strong favorite to become the next bench boss of the Kansas City Royals, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Matheny has been a special adviser for player development with the Royals since last November.

However, the club's new ownership group reportedly wants a full interview process and is continuing to talk to other candidates. Kansas City interviewed former major-league catcher Vance Wilson twice this week, Sherman added.

The New York Mets contacted Matheny at the beginning of their ongoing managerial search, but he indicated to them that he wanted to concentrate on the Royals' opening, according to Sherman.

The 49-year-old Matheny oversaw the Cardinals for six-and-a-half seasons before being fired during the 2018 campaign. He posted a 591-474 record and led St. Louis to a World Series berth in 2013 before losing to the Boston Red Sox.

Kansas City is looking for a new manager after Ned Yost retired at the end of the 2019 regular season. Under Yost's guidance, the team made back-to-back trips to the Fall Classic in 2014 and 2015, winning a championship in the latter year.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox