The Kansas City Royals have named J.J. Picollo their assistant general manager/scouting and player development. Picollo will serve as the final authority for free agent scouting and will continue in his current role as the player development director. ?J.J. has a very natural way of leading people,? Royals' General Manager Dayton Moore said. ?His expertise in scouting and player development qualifies him to lead these departments, therefore creating greater synergy and production.? Picollo joined the Royals as the director of player development on Aug. 13, 2006 after working in both scouting and player development for the Atlanta Braves since 1999.