KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals introduced the team’s next manager Thursday morning.

The organization hired Matt Quatraro, a former bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays.

“What I’m looking for from now forward is maximizing their potential. Because the talent is there,” Quatraro said.

Quatraro, 48, was with the Rays since 2017 as a third base coach and was promoted to bench coach in 2018.

Before that, he was with the Cleveland Indians from 2014 to 2017 as their assistant hitting coach.

Quatraro’s coaching career began with a 10-year stint in the Rays organization, including stints as the catching instructor/hitting coach at Class-A Hudson Valley in 2004, a coach assignment at Hudson Valley in 2005, four seasons as manager of three different A-level affiliates from 2006-09 and four years as the minor league hitting coordinator from 2010-13.

“I could not find anybody that had anything negative to say about Matt Quatraro,” J.J. Picollo, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, said as he introduced Quatraro to the Royals fan base.

Quatraro follows up former manager Mike Matheny who went 165-219 in three years in Kansas City and was fired on Oct. 5.