The Royals appear to be nearing a one-year deal with arbitration eligible outfielder Alex Gordon, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports. The sides have a hearing scheduled for February 16th and they'll present their respective cases to a panel of arbitrators if they don't reach an agreement first.
An agreement could occur before the end of the week, Dutton writes. GM Dayton Moore has never gone to a hearing with a player since becoming Kansas City's GM. Gordon and agent Casey Close filed for $5.45MM, while the Royals offered $4.15MM, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. The sides are expected to resume extension talks once they agree on a 2012 salary.
