Grifol and Wilson are managerial candidates as KC Royals coaching staff faces uncertainty

Kansas City Royals executive vice president and general manager J.J. Picollo made the decision to fire manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred, but there will not be a full house cleaning of the club’s major-league coaching staff.

In fact, two members of Matheny’s staff will vie for the chance to replace Matheny. Picollo also announced that several other members of the staff will be retained regardless of the choice as the new manager while the status of others remains undetermined.

Picollo addressed reporters on Thursday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium after the club fired Matheny and Eldred on Wednesday night following the season finale.

Matheny also spoke to The Star in a telephone interview.

During Picollo’s news conference, he said bench coach Pedro Grifol and third-base Vance Wilson will be the lone internal candidates to replace Mathney as the Royals front office casts “a wide net” in their search for their next manager.

Senior director of hitting performance Alec Zumwalt stepped in as interim hitting coach in May when the Royals dismissed Terry Bradshaw.

Zumwalt and the coaches from the hitting-development department will remain part of the major-league staff. That group includes assistant hitting coach Keoni DeRenne and special assignment hitting coach Mike Tosar.

“Because of the results that we’ve seen in the hitting department, we don’t want to mess with that right now,” Picollo said.

First-base coach Damon Hollins, who previously served as the organization’s minor-league outfield baserunning and bunting coordinator, will also remain part of the staff.

The futures of coach John Mabry and bullpen coach Larry Carter remain undetermined. Both could return to the Royals, but neither is assured to be back next season.

The status of bullpen catcher/lead strategist Parker Morin and bullpen catcher/strategist Allan de San Miguel also appears to be up in the air.

The next manager will take part in the hiring process for the new pitching coach, and the rest of the staff will be determined after those two positions are filled.

Picollo did say senior director of pitching performance Paul Gibson will continue to oversee the pitching department on the player-development side, though there will be a new pitching coordinator working under Gibson as the club decided not to renew Jason Simontacchi’s contract.