Kansas City Royals President of Baseball Operations Dayton Moore was fired on Wednesday, in the midst of the team’s sixth consecutive losing season. The team’s current general manager, J. J. Picollo will oversee baseball operations, effective immediately.
John Sherman, Royals chairman and CEO, announced the move at a press conference Wednesday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.
Moore has been with the team for the past 16 seasons, during which he helped lead them to two American League pennants and a World Series title in 2015.
“Dayton resurrected this franchise,” Sherman told reporters at the press conference. “It was not in a good spot. ... He rebuilt the team. And so today as we make this change, I want to make sure that my feeling is gratitude for Dayton Moore.”
The dismissal comes near the end of a disappointing season. With 14 games remaining, the Royals are 59-89. It will extend a losing trend for the team, which has not had a winning season since their World Series win, nearly 7 years ago.
In a statement made during the press conference, Moore said he was proud of his accomplishments with the team and he had confidence in Picollo to fill his position.
“I’ve known J. J. Picollo since he was 21 years old. He’s an incredible leader. He’s more than prepared to lead the baseball operations department in a very innovative and productive way.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
