KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Royals are in the ultimate transition, in ways huge and tiny, and the path of one specific transition will say so much about the rest.
This is the first defining moment of the new Royals of John Shermans Royals. The team needs a new manager, and while the process will happen away from public view the result will be the first significant clue of what the Royals will be next.
General manager Dayton Moore, with the help of his assistants and friends around Major League Baseball, has several candidates to interview and the blessing of both outgoing owner David Glass and incoming owner Sherman to make a decision.
But, put yourself in Moores shoes: Would you make such a major decision without participation or feedback from the man who will soon write your checks and decide on your own employment?
Further, put yourself in the next managers shoes: How confident would you feel taking a job without knowing and understanding the man who will be in charge?
This is more than a process to find a manager, then.
Its a process for Moore and the holdover baseball operations staff to introduce their work to Sherman, and Shermans first opportunity to see what hes buying from the inside, in real time.
The three known candidates:
Mike Matheny, the former St. Louis Cardinals manager.
Pedro Grifol, the Royals quality control and catching coach.
Dale Sveum, the Royals bench coach.
External candidates could emerge. Joe Maddon, Clint Hurdle and Brad Ausmus were recently fired. The Royals have expressed interest in Joe Girardi in the past.
Grifol and Sveum each have interesting cases, but the Royals are likely to prefer an outside voice after 207 losses the last two seasons.
The Royals are not expected to make a hire in the next week, despite the front office having months (years, in some ways) to prepare for the decision, having a defined short list in place, and being empowered by both owners to do it.
And thats the point.
