Although the out-of-contention Royals are reportedly willing to trade almost all of their players, it’s clear general manager Dayton Moore has his limits. Moore wants a bounty in return if he’s going to deal utilityman Whit Merrifield, while he seems wholly uninterested in moving left fielder Alex Gordon, per Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com.
“I couldn’t imagine Alex Gordon in another uniform,” Moore said.
To this point, the 35-year-old Gordon never has played anywhere else, having been a Royal dating back to the 2005 draft. Fourteen years ago, the Royals used the second overall pick on Gordon, who now stands as one of the most accomplished and beloved players in franchise history.
The defensively adept Gordon’s offensive numbers have fallen off since the Royals signed him to a four-year, $72MM contract entering 2016, however. With a .260/.341/.446 line, 10 home runs and a 107 wRC+ through 309 plate appearances this year, Gordon’s enjoying his first above-average campaign since 2015. Although, an unproductive June has somewhat undone an impressive first two months of the season.
In theory, had Gordon kept up the torrid pace he was on earlier this season, it would’ve boosted his trade value. But even if Moore wants to deal Gordon, the player could veto a move. Gordon, who has 10-and-5 rights, already indicated in May that he’d shoot down any potential trade.
With Gordon having said he doesn’t want to play anywhere else, Moore’s comments aren’t all that noteworthy with respect to this season. Gordon could become a free agent in the offseason, however, and Moore’s words may imply the Royals are interested in retaining him past 2019. Gordon said last month he’s leaning toward playing next year. If so, he’s sure to exercise his half of a $23MM mutual option. The Royals will decline the option in favor of a $4MM buyout, though the sides may be able to work out a new deal that’s more palatable for the team if Gordon continues his career.
So you have an older player who is having a bounce back year after about 4 years of being terrible and you don’t want to trade that asset? Not sure how to justify that…
Loyalty to Royalty
nice lol
Because rightly or wrongly Moore values personal relationships.
Also player has full 10-and-5 veto rights, lives in Kansas City full-time, has $160m in his pocket and three kids under 10 and has made it abundantly clear he will veto any trade so it’s pointless to kick the tires in a trade.
great point indeed
For some reason I thought he lives in Nebraska. Otherwise I agree with your post.
he does (a fact the former governor of kansas forgot when trying to get a dig at california when gordon signed his deal with the royals. because he also seemed to forget the royals don’t actually play in kansas. naturally, the guy fits perfectly in trump’s cabinet).
Running out of things to bash Trump for?
You should be placed inside another kind of cabinet with a flashlight and instruction book on how to keep effing politics out of our baseball space, you inconsiderate camel pimple.
You can value loyalty as a GM as long as you still win the World Series
I think it’s about Alex wanting to stay and not about trading an asset. Alex’s and Dayton’s hearts are over ruling their brains.
What exactly in Gordon’s heart is overruling his brain? He’s won a world series and has it good in KC where he’s beloved. He’s making money either way. Not wanting to pack your family up or move away for them for 4 months is wrong?
“What exactly in Gordon’s heart is overruling his brain? He’s won a world series and has it good in KC where he’s beloved. ”
You homers really are out here huh? heart = being beloved, genius.
Bain would be = more titles or better park to hit in, therefore more money. Heart would be, literally what you argued wasn’t heart. lol
Not at all. He already has more money than he’ll ever need. The idea that he should care about stats is absurd.
At his stage in life, given what he’s already accomplished, he should do what’s good for him and his family. Chasing more and more dollars, when you already have enough what fools do.
If Moore says he wants to trade him and Gordon vetoes it as he has said he would all it does is create conflict
Also: why would a contending team even want him? He’s literally the 17th best LF in MLB and makes lots of money.
I doubt they could get much for him, plus they probably want to work with him in some capacity for the rest of his life. Trading him is probably looked at by the organization as short-sighted and unproductive in the big picture.
What’s the point of trying to trade him if he already said that he’s not gonna waive his NTC for any team?
Royals are the new Giants. Overly loyal to declining hometown heroes.
Who cares? They couldn’t trade him if they wanted to, so what is Moore gonna say publicly, “man, I want to get rid of Gordon so badly… I wish he’d waive his 10/5 rights”?
myaccount FTW
“Royals are the new Giants. Overly loyal to declining hometown heroes.”
I’ll take that type of GM that has won a World Series in the last 5 years as the 2 examples above over an analytical GM that has yet to win.
We aren’t going to flip one of the greatest royals players ever for a mid-low level prospect, he means so much to KC and should finish his career as a Royal. He’s got his ring.
Gordon is a class act, a true Loyal Royal.
Nah, “loyalty” would mean laying down and moving on ina trade for a prospect to help the team win more in the future. This is merely “both sides fulfilling an obligation’. It’s a non-story because Gordon isn’t worth anything to a contender, as here’s 16 other LFers who are better than him this season and most of them make a sliver of his salary.
Gordon and Sal Perez could stick around and be at the end of their careers when the royals are good again. It’s good for an organization to not completely clean house.
I like Royals brand baseball. They will win another World Series before Angels, Rangers, Pirates, Rays, etc.
Analytics? Nope, just baseball. Bunt, steal, concentrate on hitting cutoff man? Sure.
You can be analytical and still bunt and steal…
I could see the Phillies interest in Merrifield. Franco has stunck up third base. I imagine Moore would ask for Bohm. The Phillies would understandably say no and offer Medina, perhaps Garcia and maybe a wild card but if Moore isnt postering at all then this simplt wouldnt be enough.