One of the most popular Royals players ever is staying with the home club…
In a surprise move, Alex Gordon just signed a four year $72 million contract with the team. In today’s money driven, contract sports world it’s quite unusual for a player of Gordon’s caliber to stay with his original team for an entire career. Especially in a smaller market like Kansas City. We don’t know what Gordon’s other offers were, but they were definitely out there.
Gordon and his family have spent nearly 10 years in Kansas City and he loves it here.
And he made it clear yesterday that he believes this team can go back to a third World Series this summer. In yesterdays interview Gordon also explained his close ties to Royals general manager Dayton Moore.
“Dayton has always been honest with me and believed in me,” Gordon said. “I just couldn’t see me wearing any uniform but a Royals uniform.”
Gordon’s first couple seasons with KC back in 2007 were a bit disappointing.
He went from being “the next George Brett” to being just a solid hitter and good third baseman. However his numbers were not huge.For the most part, Gordon’s been a .270 hitter with good, not great power. His home run totals have been in the teens to low 20’s.
However when Gordon moved to the outfield he became one of baseball’s best.
In 2011 Gordon hit .303 with 23 homers and 87 RBI’s. He is now an All-Star and a critical part of the Royals fantastic defense.
Considered today the senior cornerstone of the current Royals success, Gordon was once part of the long seasons of last place, 100 loss years.
No mas.
In fact, there was a feeling that without Alex coming back the Royals might lose much of the energy it takes to get back to the championship caliber team they’ve been the last two seasons. Others felt paying him to stay for four, even five more years into his late 30’s might be over the top.
Gordon was hurt part of last season, but came back to have an outstanding playoff run, including a key 9th inning homer to help KC beat Toronto and go to the World Series.
Most fans are feeling great about his return.
Barring injury, the Royals are likely to win their division this year and be in the playoffs again. A third World Series would make them a modern day elite franchise for sure.
And Gordon’s been a big part of that success. Losing him would make KC have to look hard for another corner outfielder along with needing at least one more starting pitcher that matters. With Gordon the Royals will for the most part bring back last year’s World Series team.
They did lose one important player already, Ben Zobrist. Ben was in a way Alex Gordon’s replacement during the final run towards the playoffs. Zobrist left KC for bigger money. Fans felt losing both players would hurt the Royals energy and clubhouse. Making it harder to get back to a Championship in 2016.
Alex has an option year after his four more seasons with KC. He’s now the Royals all time highest paid player at $18 million a year for four years. It also shows Royals fans that the Glass Family and Dayton Moore are serious about continuing to dominate in the American League and get back to another World Series.
“gordon signing should return royals to world series”
– doubtful, but anything possible this fraud era sports, if they get lucky – again. As for the journeyman level-talent gordon, Kerouac foresaw his return to smallville kc, post awhile back… when Kerouac speaks/writes, people read/listen.
Therein, Kerouac referenced that “on a star-bereft team such as the Royals, the loss of gordon will likely be felt a greater extent than on a team of stars, ‘Big Red Machine’.”
Continuing, “had gordon been part of the 1970’s Cincinnati Reds chock full ‘names’, complimentary piece, wouldn’t even be a not even a starter (behind Pete Rose, then George Foster.) kc’s team, an far greater impact because though gordon’s numbers aren’t that impressive (quite pedestrian career), relatively speaking big fish a small pond, one vital cog among all others unison; individually, on another team, ‘jag’ (just another guy.)”
Fraud era continues 2016, result – 5 Championships in 7 seasons/3 straight for ‘THE’ ‘WORLD CHAMPION’ SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
🙂
I really has to suck to be as lonely and bitter as you are….
Wow
Now look what Kerouac’s done: gone and upset yet another legit-Championship bereft member (double entendre) (f)r(aud)oyals / swiss KCC subscriber; how they hate it when another’s opinions are not censored, cannot be ignored… though they try.
🙂
This is great and surprising news. A-Gor brings a lot more to the plate than his hitting and defense. Compared to these 6 year 220 million dollars salaries for top pitchers I think a 4 year 72 million dollar deal is a bargain.
I’m glad they brought him back. It was the rare “win/win” for both sides. It also sends a message to potential future free-agents that the Royals are serious about wining. I agree the Central should be ours again for the taking, there will be a serious challenge from the Twins and improved White Sox though. The Royals window is clearly now, and kudos to both Moore and Glass for realizing it and going for it.
I wonder how this will affect the dollars available for Lorenzo Cain next year.
Cain will be 31 next year. He’s great too and I hope we can sign him but at least Cain now knows Royals management isn’t always super cheap.
Still need a starting pitcher.
Not a belly itcher.
I hope you’re right, though three WS appearances in a row will be very difficult. At the very least they’ll be able good competitive team that should go to the playoffs. They still need to find a starting pitcher but at this point you have to trust Dayton Moore. Bubba Starling is starting to hit and not strike out as much so maybe he’ll be ready by the time a decision has to be made on Cain.
glad for the royals, for gordon, and the fans… but i don’t see how this was so surprising. seemed to me this was always going to be the outcome.
i just don’t think there were any other teams willing to go 4 or 5 years for the money he wanted.
I think some other teams were interested and we’re willing to pay similar salary. I think in the end the Royals don’t want to go straight back down after rising so high. Alex brings so much more than his offense and defense. He’s probably a huge positive influence that KC would sorely miss if he went elsewhere. Sure, Cain, Salvy, Escobar, Wade Davis, Hosmer, are all very important pieces to the puzzle but maybe Gordon is the biggest piece.
But is he the key to returning to the WS, as the headline of this article implies?
No I don’t think so, he helps. Returning counts on many things he is one. Hearne writes the headlines. I think he likes to just ‘get your attention’ but no I don’t think Alex coming back promises a championship. Losing him would have hurt our chances. As I did write the Royals are surely a top tier club who could get there. Glad Gordon is back.
Agree, agree, agree and agree. 🙂
I don’t know if KC will ever be as relentless as they’ve been the last season and a half. Returning to the World Series again would be a real treat but then we’d start to be spoiled at the same time wouldn’t we?
Resigning Alex was the right thing to do. Keep the linchpin of the team intact for a fraction of what the Dodgers, Angels, D-Backs pay their premeire pitchers.
And still…
0 championships 1955-2015 athletics/royals
0 championships 1963-2015 the swiss chiefs
🙂