Kansas City Royals right to want to keep Ned Yost

Despite having the worst record in the American League, the Kansas City Royals are right to want to keep Ned Yost at the helm going forward.

It would be the perfect storm for Ned Yost to walk away after this season. The Kansas City Royals currently hold the worst record in baseball, and Yost is in the final year of his contract. The Royals have won all of one game at home, with the division rival White Sox having three victories in Kauffman Stadium this year. Matt Davidson has six home runs in Kansas City, nearly as much as the seven hit by the entire Royals roster.

Looking around at the futility and the locker room, one could understand if Yost wanted to leave when his contract was over. This is not the team that won the World Series, or really anything close to it. The once dominating bullpen is a shambles, with Kelvin Herrera no longer the dominant force he was. Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain have left in free agency. Yordano Ventura tragically passed away in a car accident last year. This is not the same team any longer.

And yet, even with the situation the Royals find themselves in, Yost is the right manager for the job. At least, that is what general manager Dayton Moore believes, as he is looking to bring the Royals manager back for a tenth season at the helm.

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Looking at the Royals record, it is easy to dismiss the idea, and feel that Moore is being too loyal to the past. Yes, Yost brought the Royals to consecutive World Series appearances, but that was back in 2014 and 2015. Baseball, like every other sport, is a results oriented business. In a world where “What have you done for me lately?” permeates, this would seemingly be the perfect moment to send Yost on his way to retirement.

Instead, Moore is correct in his thought that the current manager is the right manager for the future. After all, Yost took a moribund Royals franchise that was in the throes of two decades of mediocrity and brought them to the postseason. If there is a manager that will help develop the next great Royals team, and bring those younger players to their potential, it may well be the current manager.

Yost has certainly built up a great deal of equity with the Royals. He will eventually be enshrined in the Royals Hall of Fame, with his number 3 likely to be retired. He is not only the winningest manager in the history of the franchise, but the longest tenured by over four years. He has earned the right to walk away on his terms. This is something that Moore has recognized, and that desire to bring him back for another season is all the more understandable.

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Dayton Moore wants Ned Yost to return to the Kansas City Royals next season. It is the right decision for the franchise moving forward.