KANSAS CITY -- Jin Wong, an assistant general manager for the Royals, is leaving the organization of his own accord, sources told MLB.com. The club has not confirmed the news.

Wong has been with Kansas City for 24 years and just finished his second season as the vice president of baseball administration. Over his tenure, he’s mainly dealt with the club’s financial obligations, including negotiating contracts, roster and payroll management, salary arbitration and the club’s budget, along with day-to-day operations of the Major League club.

He has had a major role in the negotiations of multi-year player contracts for the Royals, including Lorenzo Cain, Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, Danny Duffy and most recently Salvador Perez, who signed a four-year extension for a franchise-record $82 million in 2021.

The Athletic was the first to report Wong’s departure from the Royals, but it's not clear exactly why Wong left. His absence leaves a big hole for general manager J.J. Picollo to fill in Kansas City's front office.

Wong came to the Royals in 2000 as a scouting operations coordinator, advanced in the front office to manager of scouting operations and then made his way into baseball operations. He stayed on when former president of baseball operations Dayton Moore was hired in Kansas City in 2006 and has been a crucial part of the Royals’ front office for more than two decades.