{{short description|American professional baseball executive (born 1970)}} {{Use American English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = J. J. Picollo | image = | caption = | team = Kansas City Royals | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|12|10|mf=y}} | birth_place = | position = General Manager/ Executive Vice President | teams = * Atlanta Braves ({{mlby|1999}}–{{mlby|2006}}) * Kansas City Royals ({{mlby|2006}}–present) }} '''John J. Picollo''' (born December 10, 1970) is an American professional baseball executive. He is the general manager and president of baseball operations for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball.<ref name=Doolittle>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34637287/kansas-city-royals-fire-long-front-office-executive-dayton-moore|title=With 'a gap right now between where we are and where we expected to be,' Kansas City Royals fire Dayton Moore|last=Doolittle|first=Bradford|website=ESPN.com|date=September 21, 2022|access-date=September 21, 2022|language=en|archive-date=September 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921193202/https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34637287/kansas-city-royals-fire-long-front-office-executive-dayton-moore|url-status=live}}</ref> Picollo has been employed with the Royals since 2006.<ref name=Grathoff/>
==Biography== Picollo is from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He graduated from Cherry Hill High School West in 1989.<ref name=inquirer/> He enrolled at North Carolina State University, where he played college baseball as a catcher for the NC State Wolfpack. He transferred to George Mason University to complete his college baseball career with the George Mason Patriots.<ref name=twincities/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/george-mason-products-have-helped-cultivate-royals-success/2014/10/20/d39ec38c-58a4-11e4-8264-deed989ae9a2_story.html |title=George Mason products have helped cultivate Royals' success |work=The Washington Post |date=October 20, 2014 |accessdate=September 14, 2021 |archive-date=February 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214095219/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/george-mason-products-have-helped-cultivate-royals-success/2014/10/20/d39ec38c-58a4-11e4-8264-deed989ae9a2_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Though the Cincinnati Reds selected Picollo in two MLB drafts, Picollo did not sign with the Reds. Undrafted after his senior year at George Mason as a result of elbow injuries, Picollo played in five games for the Oneonta Yankees, the Low-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, in 1994.<ref name=twincities/>
In 1999, Picollo joined the Atlanta Braves as a scout.<ref name=inquirer>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/phillies-general-manager-search-john-middleton-mike-arbuckle-jj-picollo-20201006.html|title = Mike Arbuckle: Cherry Hill native J.J. Picollo is a perfect fit for Phillies' GM job | Bob Brookover}}</ref> When the Kansas City Royals hired Dayton Moore as their general manager in 2006, Moore's first hire was Picollo, naming him director of player development.<ref name=twincities>{{cite web |last=Berardino |first=Mike |url=https://www.twincities.com/2016/09/13/minnesota-twins-have-interviewed-royals-assistant-j-j-picollo-source-says/ |title=Minnesota Twins have interviewed Royals' J.J. Picollo |publisher=Twincities.com |date=September 13, 2016 |accessdate=September 14, 2021 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914200551/https://www.twincities.com/2016/09/13/minnesota-twins-have-interviewed-royals-assistant-j-j-picollo-source-says/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Royals promoted Moore to team president and Picollo to general manager in September 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32208020/kansas-city-royals-promote-dayton-moore-president-jj-picollo-gm|title=Royals promote Moore to president, Picollo to GM|date=September 14, 2021}}</ref> Picollo assumed the role of general manager and president of baseball operations when Moore was fired in September 2022.<ref name=Grathoff>{{cite web|url=https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article266115281.html|title=Dayton Moore fired as the Kansas City Royals’ president of baseball operations|last=Grathoff|first=Pete|publisher=Kansas City Star|date=September 21, 2022|access-date=September 21, 2022|language=en}}</ref> On February 17, 2025, Picollo signed a contract extension with the Royals that runs through the 2030 season and includes a club option for the 2031 campaign.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Royals Extend GM J.J. Picollo, Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Matt Quatraro|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/royals-extend-gm-j-j-picollo-exercise-2026-option-manager-matt-quatraro.html|access-date=February 17, 2025|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en|archive-date=February 17, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250217173525/https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/royals-extend-gm-j-j-picollo-exercise-2026-option-manager-matt-quatraro.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{baseballstats|brm=picoll001joh}}
{{s-start}} {{succession box | title=Kansas City Royals General manager| before=Dayton Moore| after=''Current'' | years=2022–present}} {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Picollo, Jj}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:People from Cherry Hill, New Jersey Category:Baseball catchers Category:Baseball players from Camden County, New Jersey Category:Oneonta Yankees players Category:Atlanta Braves scouts Category:Kansas City Royals executives Category:Major League Baseball general managers Category:NC State Wolfpack baseball players Category:George Mason Patriots baseball players Category:Cherry Hill High School West alumni Category:Major League Baseball presidents of baseball operations