The Kansas City Royals saw a 30-game improvement in 2024 under manager Matt Quatraro, one of six finalists for Manager of the Year honors announced Monday.

Quatraro, 50, oversaw a stunning turnaround for the Royals, who were coming off a lifeless 56-106 last-place finish in 2023. A similar roster in 2024 became a winning squad under Quatraro's direction, going 86-76 with a second-place finish in the American League Central.

This year's Royals earned a 2-0 sweep of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL wild-card series before dropping an AL Division Series to the New York Yankees three games to one.

Quatraro will have stiff competition in the AL from two divisional rivals, A.J. Hinch of the Detroit Tigers and Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians.

Hinch matched Quatraro by directing an 86-76 club that found postseason success. Hinch's Tigers swept the Houston Astros 2-0 in the other AL wild-card series and pushed the Guardians to five games in the ALDS before losing 3-2.

Meanwhile, the first-place Guardians and Vogt had the most successful season of the bunch, winning 92 games and taking that postseason series with Detroit to make their first AL Championship Series since 2016. They lost in five games (4-1) to the Yankees.

The nominees for the award in the National League were Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers, Mike Shildt of the San Diego Padres and Carlos Mendoza of the New York Mets.

Murphy and Shildt each helmed 93-69 squads that made the postseason. While Murphy saw his season come to an end at the hands of Mendoza's 89-73 Mets, Shildt piloted the Padres to a 2-0 wild-card series win over the Atlanta Braves.

Mendoza's squad went on to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 in an NL Division Series to make the NL Championship Series, their first since 2015.

Royals right-hander Michael Wacha will remain in Kansas City for the next three seasons, agreeing to a $51 million deal that could max out at $72 million, multiple media outlets reported on Sunday.

The Royals announced they had agreed to a new contract with Wacha, featuring a club option for 2028, but did not disclose financial terms.

Per the reports, Wacha, 33, will earn $18 million in 2025 and 2026 and $14 million in 2027. According to ESPN, the third year of the deal could be worth an additional $4 million in performance bonuses. The $14 million club option, with a $1 million buyout, includes the same $4 million in incentives.

A 12-year veteran, Wacha was expected to opt out of the final year of his two-year, $32 million deal he signed last winter, ESPN reported. Instead he will remain with the Royals, who reached the postseason but lost to the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series.

The Royals were able to negotiate with Wacha during the five-day quiet period after the World Series when teams can re-sign their pending free agents.

Playing for his sixth team in the last six seasons, Wacha posted strong numbers in 2024, finishing 13-8 in 29 starts with a 3.35 ERA to help Kansas City improve its win total by 30 games over its 2023 record. In 166 2/3 innings, Wacha notched 145 strikeouts and issued 45 walks.

Wacha was drafted No. 19 overall by the Cardinals in 2012 and spent his seven seasons in St. Louis (2013-19) before playing for the New York Mets (2020), Tampa Bay Rays (2021), Boston Red Sox (2022), San Diego Padres (2023) and Royals.

Over his 12 seasons, Wacha is 101-62 with a 3.89 ERA in 278 games (257 starts) with 1,290 strikeouts and 458 walks in 1,454 2/3 innings.

Kansas City Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez was named the 2024 recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award on Monday.

The award is given to the Major League Baseball player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team."

Perez, the first-ever member of the Royals to receive the honor, will be presented with the award during a pregame press conference at Yankee Stadium before Monday night's Game 3 of the World Series between the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.

Perez was nominated by the Royals for his extraordinary efforts to build healthy and active communities in his native Valencia, Venezuela, as well as in Kansas City.

A nine-time All-Star and former World Series MVP, Perez batted .271 with 27 home runs and 104 RBIs for the Royals this past season. The Royals lost to the Yankees in the American League Division Series.

The award was established in 1973 in honor of Clemente, the first Caribbean-born player and first Latin American to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Commissioner Rob Manfred, Clemente's three children, former players and a panel of journalists help select each year's winner.

Yankees OF Aaron Judge was the recipient of the award in 2023.