Key to Quatraro's kingdom? 'Be who you are'

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- When Matt Quatraro first arrived at the Royals’ facility last week, Vinnie Pasquantino had one question for the first-time manager.

“How does it feel to be roaming your kingdom?” Pasquantino asked.

“He was like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Pasquantino recalled Tuesday. “Then he was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is my first day here as a manager.’”

Quatraro has had the offseason to acclimate to his new position, but now it’s time for the players to acclimate to him and the new coaching staff. With almost an entirely new coaching staff, the number one expectation Quatraro is setting in the early days of camp is for everyone to get to know each other better, continuing conversations he had in the offseason.

“There are going to be a lot of differences for people that maybe I’ve had time to conceptualize that other people haven’t,” Quatraro said. “So just kind of getting familiar with each other and having them know what the staff’s going to be like and how the interactions might be a little different. So that’s where I really want to start.

“… Just letting them know who we are and what things are important to us, and listening to what’s important to them. It’s not going to be forced, like meeting after meeting or that kind of thing. It’s just interacting out here and watching what they do and how to best help them.”

Each manager reveals elements of his approach throughout the spring, from the pace of each day to the drills to the atmosphere. On Tuesday, the day pitchers and catchers officially reported to Spring Training, Quatraro’s laid-back and calm demeanor was welcomed by players working out at the facility.

It was cold and rainy in Surprise, but the sounds of spring were still in full force -- pitchers threw bullpens, and some, like Daniel Lynch, were already throwing live sessions to hitters. Position players were on the field for batting practice and fielding drills before their live at-bats.

Quatraro watched it all from different vantage points.

“He just shows up, and you don’t really notice he’s there until he’s there,” said Nicky Lopez, one of many position players already at the Royals’ facility. “He just lets us be ourselves, and it’s very loose. We have a really young team with guys with a lot of personality. He lets them show it. Be who you are. It’s been really nice.”

Quatraro spent the winter months calling players not only to introduce himself and learn about his new team but also to listen to what they wanted from a manager and coaching staff. Those calls resonated with the younger players especially, who feel like they can have a voice on the team.

“He just kind of says, ‘It’s y’all’s team,’” Bobby Witt Jr. said. “So whatever we think we need, just reach out to him, which really says a lot. Just to say that, asking younger guys what they think, is really cool.”

Full spring roster
The Royals have 32 pitchers in camp this year, with 24 of them on the 40-man roster -- an intentionally high number. The goal will be to maximize the 40-man throughout the season, with several pitchers still with options, including Carlos Hernández and Richard Lovelady. They will both likely get a fourth option by Opening Day.

“We like the depth we have on the pitching side right now,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “That was very intentional, but now keeping them all healthy and having healthy competition for the last couple spots in the rotation and bullpen [is the goal]. I think when you have the depth you have, our pitchers know they have to be focused right from the get-go. And there’s competition and positions that need to be won.”

There are eight catchers in camp, 15 infielders and eight outfielders. The Royals’ No. 4 prospect, Nick Loftin, is in camp as a non-roster invitee, as well as Tyler Gentry (No. 8) and Luca Tresh (No. 15).

All pitchers and catchers reported on time and healthy, Picollo said. The only pitcher not in camp Tuesday was Brady Singer because of his arbitration hearing, but he had reported early and has already thrown live sessions in Surprise.

Quotable
“It’s really cool for the city of Kansas City. And we see them winning, and we would like to win, too. That’s the goal. Win as many as possible. That’s what they’ve been doing at the Super Bowl level, which is really impressive to watch.” --Vinnie Pasquantino on how the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl win gives the Royals extra buzz at the start of spring.