Alex Gordon says no contract talks are ongoing with Royals

His right wrist still feels sore some days, a reminder of offseason surgery, but Alex Gordon has grown used to it. He plays a leadership role on the Royals, the defending American League champions and the owners of the junior circuit’s best record, and he felt compelled to play his part.

“At the beginning of the season, I could have easily gone to the D.L.,” Gordon said. “But I would rather be a part of this special group and keep playing with these guys. So I just tried to fight through it.”

He also understands, though he does not like to project the future, this could be his final season in Kansas City. Gordon can enter free agency this winter. He is a four-time Gold Glover, the finest left fielder in baseball, and he remains a productive hitter. In order to retain him, the Royals must offer him the largest contract in franchise history — and even that might not be enough to prevent one of the other 29 teams from signing Gordon.

As the Royals surge into another joyful summer, set for a potential World Series preview this weekend against the Cardinals, the team does not appear to be engaging in extension conversations with Gordon. Casey Close, Gordon’s agent, informed his client to be prepared for the possibility of negotiations. But Gordon told The Star on Wednesday that Close has yet to relay word of any ongoing talks.

“He said no contact, or anything,” Gordon said. “So just keep playing out this year.”

Gordon, 31, is the only involved principal willing to address the situation. Close declined comment through a representative. In general, Close does not litigate contract negotiations through the press. This stance matches the philosophy of Royals general manager Dayton Moore, who disdains speculation about topics like this.

Reached on Thursday afternoon, Moore indicated he would not discuss Gordon’s contract. He referred to his previous statements on the issue, stressed little had changed in the intervening months and repeated that the Royals would address Gordon’s contract “at the appropriate time.”

The Royals face a variety of contractual questions this winter. The salaries for potential All-Stars Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas will escalate in arbitration. Cain, Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Alcides Escobar can all become free agents after 2017. Salvador Perez decided last week to publicly stump for a new deal.

Amid all this, Gordon is the most immediate concern. At the start of spring training, Moore downplayed the suggestion that the negotiations were a looming issue.

“I don’t know if there’s a ‘situation,’” Moore said in February. “Alex is a huge part of our team and our organization. Discussions like that remain confidential. There’s not a whole lot to say about it.”

Gordon holds a $14 million player option for 2016. The industry-wide expectation is he will decline it. He would join a deep class of free-agent outfielders, a group headlined by Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes and Jason Heyward.

Upton, 27, continues to bash home runs and produce despite playing his home games in San Diego’s cavernous Petco Park. Cespedes, 29, entered Thursday with a career-best .511 slugging percentage for Detroit. Heyward, 25, has been a disappointment since joining St. Louis, with a career-low .676 on-base plus slugging percentage. But rival evaluators still feel Heyward’s youth, potential and prowess in right field should carry him to a sizable contract.

Gordon is the eldest of the bunch, with perhaps the lowest offensive ceiling. But opposing scouts feel his power production would improve outside Kauffman Stadium. His work ethic is renowned within the Royals organization, and his play in left field is unparalleled. There will be plenty of suitors for his services, rival executives say.

After a quiet start to 2015, Gordon has achieved unorthodox success at the plate. He carried a .257 batting average, his lowest since 2010, into the off day on Thursday. His .374 on-base percentage would be his highest since his breakout 2011 campaign, in part because he has been hit by 10 pitches, the most in the American League. His isolated slugging percentage, which measures how often a batter collects extra-base hits, is .184, which is also his best mark since 2011.

On Thursday afternoon, Gordon indicated he was still in search of consistency.

“I mean, right now, I’m struggling a little bit,” Gordon said. “But that happens sometimes. You’ve just got to deal with it. I’m trying to get out of it. Hopefully it’ll come around.”

A few hours later, with two on and two out in the first inning at Target Field, Gordon saw a hanging changeup from right-hander Kyle Gibson. He did not miss. His seventh home run of the season raced over the right-field fence.

Two months into what could be his last season as a Royal, Gordon has rendered his offseason surgery a moot point. He looks like himself, a multi-time All-Star and a testament to Kansas City’s player development system. He does not know what the future holds. For now, the present is plenty enjoyable.

“I don’t really like to look ahead of anything,” Gordon said. “So I’m not going to do that.”

This story was originally published June 11, 2015 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Alex Gordon says no contract talks are ongoing with Royals."