Following a break-out campaign that earned Alex Gordon MVP votes, the Royals would like to lock up the 27-year-old for the long term. The Royals have discussed a contract extension for Gordon, and GM Dayton Moore says the club will work "very hard" to keep him in Kansas City, according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel.
"I don't think either side feels any pressure," said Moore. "We have him under control for two more years. There's certainly a willingness to move forward together and get something done."
Gordon, who hit .303/.376/.502 in 2011, will be eligible for arbitration this year and next. MLBTR projects an approximate salary of $4.4MM for the former second overall pick.
Lol
Nicwe post Matt. Your contributions are greatly appreciated.
I just don’t think you can predict success after all of that failure and one good year.
I understand your skepticism. But Gordon has killed in the minors throughout his career but had been god awful in the majors up to this year. With all of the hype that came with him, i dont think this is just one of those fluky Ryan Ludwick type years. Id still like to see another full season of him though.
He hasn’t been ‘god awful in the majors’. He had a decent season as a rookie at age 23, had an above average season at 24 (109 OPS+), then two seasons where he only played a total of 111 games COMBINED, and then last season at the age of 27.
If by “god awful” you mean two above average seasons and a good rookie season, then two injured seasons….OK.
Eh youre right, poor choice of words on my part. I just thought it was unfair for people to expect im to come in and be George Brett right away.
Im thinking more of 2009-2010 when he was awful but injured.
Gordon really turned it around last year. Makes sense.
Excellent news! Go Dayton and go Royals!
Although I’m not a Royals fan per se, I’ve really enjoyed watching this young offense develop, and I hope to see them succeed this next year, especially if they can continue to upgrade their pitching… And locking down Gordon to a team-friendly extension seems like a smart move, although I like him more in the 2 or 3 spot as opposed to lead-off (where Lorenzo Cain will probably get a shot)
They are one of my favorite teams to watch along with the Rays. So many guys that are going to be around for the long haul. Im just picturing the potential log jam in the outfield in a few seasons with Cain, Gordon, Myers, Starling and Butler at DH.
Funny you say that – I’m a former KC season ticket holder who has moved to Orlando. I have adopted the Rays as my ‘local’ team while still being a die-hard-until-I-die Royals fan.
I admit that before the season started I was thinking we could move Gordon for a Delmon Young…thinking that a change of scenery would do both players good. If last season is any indication then I was totally wrong and ready to admit that.
As an aside, days before I left KC in November of 2010 I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods and bought a Gordon jersey off the clearance rack. Normally $85…I got it for $15. I’ll bet they’re getting $80 now.
I also met him after a game in 2008. I hung out like a stalker by the player parking lot (sobering up) and he came out and signed autographs for everyone. I’m not much of an autograph hound – I just like to talk to the players while they sign – but he worked his way down the line and grabbed my hat and signed it. Never said a word.
I’m a convert.
You made a nice choice. I love the Mets to death but im fed up with watching their atrocious play. MLB Extra Innings comes in quite handy when your local team is a joke.
Even though the Royals were still mediocre last year they were SO fun to watch.
Maybe if they had let up on the premature George Brett comparisons the kid could have just been himself out of the gate.
Assuming Cain, Myers, and Starling all reach their potential, that logjam of OF talent would be a nice change for the Royals. As Jason Grey once told me, “That’s a few years off, and those things have a way of working themselves out.”
I think the Royals need to make a statement here and lock this guy up. Something along the lines of six years $50 million is probably about right. Before you go apesh-apestuff, remember he was an elite hitter in the draft and some guys are simply late-bloomers.
I see this crap mentioned all the time. Gordon didn’t suck before. He was injured. He tore his quadracip, tore his labral cartilage of the right hip, broke his thumb, and also had a sprained thumb which took him out for most of 2009/2010 and also was learning a new position so Moose could take over 3b.
He had a decent rookie season, then an above average season, then two injury seasons, and then finally last season where he “broke out.”
I see this crap mentioned all the time. Gordon didn’t suck before. He was injured. He tore his quadracip, tore his labral cartilage of the right hip, broke his thumb, and also had a sprained thumb which took him out for most of 2009/2010 and also was learning a new position so Moose could take over 3b.
He had a decent rookie season, then an above average season, then two injury seasons, and then finally last season where he “broke out.”
Even though he plays for another team in the division, I have always been a Gordon fan, even through his struggles of the past couple years. Glad to see he actually seemed to have developed somewhat into what people thought he could be.
Thia is the most important signing of the Dayton Moore era. If nothing else but to show the fans of the Royals that they will keep the impact players going forward into the future. We wont be able to keep them all but hopefully, the majority.
This is a bit off topic but I hope Starling out grows the nickname “Bubba”. I’d much prefer to call him Derek Starling.
“Good luck with that.”
– Bubba Gump
“Good luck with that.”
– Bubba Franks
“Good luck with that.”
– Bubba Franks
i think its about time the royals start sewing up a lineup for this team. they trade there players and they have big careers with someone else. If they dont start holing on to the good players now we will have another 25 years of bad luck
I’m from Nebraska, but I’ve been a Royals fan since 1976. I had the opportunity to see Alex play at every level, from high school to college to the minors and now in KC. The kid is the real deal and has all the tools. Now that the “next Brett” pressure is off, and now that he has some other bats around him without the expectation that he can (or should) do it all with one swing, he’s going to be a vastly improved player. What you saw from him last year, in my opinion, was not a fluke and KC needs to give the guy AT LEAST Billy Butler money, if not something more along the lines of 5 years, $45 million. Then we can worry about figuring out how to keep Hosmer and Moose around (assuming Moose continues to grow).
I agree it can’t hurt to see him repeat it especially with the talent slated to hit that field over the next few years. The Royals probably can’t afford to waste the room if he goes back to non-tender candidate Gordan.
If he repeats it, then you’re going to end up paying him twice as much as you would if you signed him right now.
His high BABIP was fueled by a high line drive percentage.
But if you do pay him and he comes back to Earth then you got like 50 mill over so many years sunk into a horrible player. Even if he has a repest year his proce tag is not going to be that huge. Unless he busts out on a power surge sometime soon I don’t think it will get beyond working out a deal with him,
THEY HAD A 26 YEAR OLD ACE….
…That didn’t really want to be there.