Royals appear poised to bring back Alex Gordon for 2020 season
There’s no guarantee until a deal has been reached and signed, but the signs continue to point to the Kansas City Royals and Gold Glove left fielder Alex Gordon going on at least one more ride together in 2020.
Gordon, 35, has contemplated retirement, but he seemed to hint at a likely return during a conference call a little more than a week ago after he’d won his seventh AL Gold Glove Award.
He acknowledged that new manager Mike Matheny’s press conference gave him the “itch” to play again. Gordon also said he spoke with Matheny in the days following that press conference, and that talks with the Royals about his future were just starting.
Tuesday at the MLB General Managers’ meetings in Scottsdale, Arizona, Royals general manager Dayton Moore gave a strong indication that Gordon remains very much part of the club’s offseason plans. It would appear that the only factor remaining would be contract negotiations.
“I think with Gordo, the feeling is mutual,” Moore said. “He’s been a huge part of this organization for a long time. He’s been here longer than I have. In fact, we both came to Kansas City at the same time — 2007 was our first year here together, first full season together. There’s a strong commitment to bring Alex back.”
The Royals drafted Gordon No. 2 overall in 2005. He began his professional career in 2006, and reached the majors in 2007 and played in 151 games.
Earlier this month, the Royals declined their mutual option on the remaining year of Gordon’s contract and made him a free agent. That move was expected. Had the club exercised that option, Gordon would’ve made $23 million in 2020.
Gordon stated during that season that if he did not retire, he’d need to reach a new contract agreement with the club. He’s also said he did not want to play for any other franchise.
“We’ll manage through that, I think, in the next month or so as our budgets are more defined,” Moore said. “We’ll have a better indication of what we can do.”
Gordon has become a cornerstone of the franchise along with six-time All-Star catcher Salvador Perez. Gordon, the longest-tenured Royals player, has spent his entire professional career and parts of 13 seasons in the majors with the club.
A standout high school athlete out of Nebraska and then the national college player of the year at the University of Nebraska, he’s established a legacy as one of the best defensive players in the organization’s history while he’s posted a career slash line of .258/.339/.413.
He manned left field for each of their back-to-back American League pennant-winning teams in 2014 and 2015. He also had a memorable game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the 2015 World Series to send the game to extra innings. The Royals won that game and went on to win the series over the New York Mets.
This past season, he slashed .266/.345/.396. Gordon’s 76 RBIs were his most since 2013, and his 31 doubles and 150 games were his most since 2014.
Gordon clearly felt that he bounced back from declining offensive production in recent years and proved in the last half of the 2018 season and throughout the 2019 season that he could still perform at a high level.
“I’m obviously not playing the way I used to play; there’s been a decline,” Gordon said on Nov. 3. “Over the past year and a half, I’ve kind of answered those questions for myself — not for anybody else. It was just more for myself.
“I’ve been pretty satisfied with how things have gone personally over the year and a half, just how I’ve felt out there competing against the best in the game.”
