6:10pm: The deal is worth $37.5MM over four years with a player option for 2016 at $12.5MM, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Gordon will earn $6MM for 2012, $9MM for 2013, $10MM for 2014, and $12.5MM for 2015, Dutton tweets.
5:40pm: The Royals announced that they have reached a contract extension with leftfielder Alex Gordon. The contract includes four guaranteed years through the 2015 season with a player option for 2016. The Excel Sports Management client would have been eligible for free agency after the 2013 season.
Its been a busy spring for General Manager Dayton Moore who signed off on a five-year, $7MM extension for Salvador Perez and a new deal for Alcides Escobar who could earn up to $21.75MM through 2017. Eric Hosmer could also be an extension candidate but earlier this week the first baseman said that he is in no rush to sign a multi-year deal.
Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed but Gordon could potentially hold the richest deal in club history. To date, the largest deal in Kansas City's history has been $55MM, the amount given to both Gil Meche and Mike Sweeney.
Gordon, 28, hit .303/.376/.502 with 23 homers in 690 plate appearances in 2011. Last season marked Gordon's first as a full-time outfielder.
Finally.
Player option? 2003 is stoked
4/$37.5 M
Does the .372 babip come guaranteed too?
His BAbip was .358 last season. He’ll likely regress, at least in the AVG department, but he doesn’t have to maintain that kind of production to be worth it when all is said and done.
Not a fan of the player option though.
Overrated.
I’d like to see the financial terms first, but generally I’m happy to see one of the better players KC has on their team show that he is willing to stay through his prime years. This is a good step for the organization.
^This.
And even if the terms aren’t great, its the team willing to spend to keep talent around. That’s pretty notable on its own.
“….its the team willing to spend to keep INCONSISTENT, UN-PROVEN talent around.”
Fixed.
This could be the worst signing ever if Gordon doesn’t continue to produce. I hope he does…but in my mind they should have waited until later this season to see whether he could do it again.
Vernon Wells, Barry Zito, and A-Rod say hi.
Well this is very exciting…. however it does nothing to improve their starting rotation. Also, I was surprised that they sent Jeffries and Coleman down today.
You were surprised that Jeffress got sent down? He was domoted twice last year, ended up in AA, and still can’t throw strikes in ST. I mean, he’s got talent, and I’m pulling for him, but I would have been shocked had he NOT been sent down. And no…..strangely…..Gordon’s extension does not improve the rotation. Also shocking.
Quite “Frankly” it’s all very shocking.
Gordon’s defense in LF improves every pitcher in the rotation.
Coleman was really good last season, but he’d struggled this spring and there were plenty of other guys pitching well.
So essentially $15 mil for his last two arbitration years, and $22.5 mil for two free agent years (and then the player option year). If he plays anything remotely close like he did last year for the life of this contract, it’s gonna be incredible value for the Royals.
Aaron Rowand to the Indians. You heard it here first.
Why didn’t thin receive a “huge announcement” label like Perez’s contract did? I think this is a good move for the Royals.
I assume this includes a “you should have let me have a longer leash when I was trying to get established and you were awful and had nothing to lose anyway” fee.
Ah. This is actually the one player I didn’t want to see get extended…
Only because he’d look awfully good in the Blue, Red, and White in the AL East…
Couldn’t agree more. He would be so perfect in New York.
or Tampa. Or Toronto !!
New York is black and white… come on now.
Yeah, but unless Dante is exceptional this year, we’ll need a 3Bman soon. ARob is still a top 10 defensive 3Bman, but I dunno how long that’ll last.
He has been consistently below average defensively since he became a 3B except for last year when he was way above average. Very odd. And I am not disputing he is top 10. Maybe right at 10 though. But they do need to get better defensively at third.
What? The New York Yankee uniforms have never been black and white.
You may need to upgrade your television.
” What? The New York Yankee uniforms have never been black and white.”
I dunno about that.. I remember when Rhizzuto was broadcasting and he used to say all sorts of nonsense.. Wouldn’t have surprised me to have said they all wore halos or something even and were saints.
I’m not sure what either of you are talking about and I don’t really understand the references.
The New York Yankees have utilized white uniforms with navy pinstripes as their home uniform in pretty much an unchanged fashion since 1936.
So where is the red?
Those Yankees and their famous “Blue, Red, and White” uniforms
I was going to agree, and say “Yes, he would look dandy playing for the Expos!”
But then I realized they weren’t in the AL East…
Or baseball for that matter…
And now I am just sad…
always like it to see the perceived early-draft “bust” get it together. (also always like to see “my team” scoop early bust from stupid “other team” and then he does get it together!).
still, KC — stupid-other-team for too many years — hung in with this guy and there becomes a mutual appreciation from that. (don’t see them/him play much at all, but I hope it’s not a late burst-out early-flame-out scenario)at this point in time, does the Royals good as far as showing this big-potential next wave of theirs that they have that kind of loyalty/belief. and even if they were still mired in sucktitude, would/should/could pay off for them and him in a trade situation.
Alright Royals. The 5 year window is just opening and they are locking up keys components.
If they spend beyond what they are to lock up guys long term (and I hope they do), then these extensions could be a lot of fun to watch.
Five year window? Have you seen our talent in Rookie/A ball? After this five year window with Gordon is closed, there will be another five year window with another player opening up.
Here is a better analogy: for the next ten years, the Royals talent coming from the minors will resemble a revolving door.
so they are committing 37.5M/4y to a former #1 overall pick that took 5 season in the bigs to finally have 1 good year, makes you wonder..
One great year, one good year. Guys was a 3-win player in 2008.
Point taken though, but most extensions are risky. I think this is reasonable enough for both parties.
If I’m not mistaken he has only 1 good year so I hope the royals last year wasn’t a fluke for him