SB Nation Kansas City - Alex Gordon Signs Long-Term Deal With The Kansas City Royalshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48935/kc-fave.png2012-04-04T07:42:15-05:00http://kansascity.sbnation.com/rss/stream/26888002012-04-04T07:42:15-05:002012-04-04T07:42:15-05:00Alex Gordon's Extension With Royals Should Fare Better Than Past Deals
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<p>The Kansas City Royals are slowly but surely locking up their young offensive players to long-term contract extensions, a process that began with the multi-year deal given to catcher Salvador Perez. Alex Gordon is the latest to sign a four-year extension and it’s definitely the biggest fish yet worth $37.5 million. Given KC’s history with big-time contracts, this could be a scary proposition for the franchise.</p>
<p>Brandon Warne of Fangraphs says <a target="new" href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/alex-gordon-gets-royally-rewarded/">not to worry about this one</a>. While Gordon might not put up a career line of 303/.376/.502, he will continue to hit well enough to warrant the numbers he’s earning.</p>
<p>Warne writes, “It’s the the second biggest contract the Royals have handed out since the Gil Meche and Jose Guillen deals (Zack Greinke‘s 4/$38 million prior to ’09). I’m a big proponent of extending your own guys rather than spending in free agency — even when the dollars are exactly the same — but without considering that, I think this one will work out a bit better for the club.”</p>
<p>It was a career year for Gordon after several disappointing ones, but the Royals have to believe he has turned the corner if they are going to invest the type of money that they have. With Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon in the heart of the order, the Royals should feast on pitching for years to come.</p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-city-royals/2012/4/4/2924782/alex-gordons-extension-with-royals-should-fare-better-than-past-dealsMatt Conner2012-03-31T09:02:13-05:002012-03-31T09:02:13-05:00Alex Gordon Extension Shows Royals Committed To Winning In The Present
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<p>The Kansas City Royals made big news heading into the weekend with the announcement that they had finally agreed to an extension that every fan was waiting for. Alex Gordon had signed a four year contract extension with a player option for a fifth additional year. But besides locking up a player, it’s also a major statement for a team used to losing and being called cheap.</p>
<p>The Royals have a farm system with guys who could potentially replace Gordon inexpensively. If Gordon were allowed to leave via free agency, fans would cry foul and sportswriters would say it’s just another case of the Royals growing their own talent and letting them walk in their prime. The fears would grow that the Royals would let the same thing happen to new names and faces like Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas.</p>
<p>But lately, things have begun to change. The Royals locked up Salvador Perez and Alcides Escobar long-term to show that they are keeping some of the new guys in house for a while. Fans can relax and buy a jersey. These guys aren’t going anywhere.</p>
<p>But those guys are stronger defensive components than anything else. What about the big sluggers who cost the money that the Royals have not paid out to this point? Gordon’s extension answers that question loud and clear. By locking up Gordon through his prime years (until age 32 or 33 with the player extension), the Royals have an anchor for their line-up through the development of other major sluggers from the farm.</p>
<p>Even more importantly, it makes a major statement that despite the presence of Wil Myers in the farm system and the potential emergence down the line of Bubba Starling, Brett Eibner, Elier Hernandez or Jorge Bonifacio, the Royals are committed to winning at the Major League level. Prospects can now slow down and wait for their turn. No one will be rushed. The Royals are worried about winning and a prospect will have their turn only if they can truly help — not learn to grow to help.</p>
<p>John Verburg of the Motor City Bengals, a Detroit Tigers blog, writes, “I’m still not overly concerned by the Royals this season. The Tigers are going to have to falter something pretty terrible not to win the Central this year, but the <a target="_blank" href="http://motorcitybengals.com/2012/03/31/royals-extend-gordon-and-what-that-means/">Royals commitment to Gordon</a> and others should be a sign to the rest of the division that they are serious about winning."</p>
<p>The Royals are finally placing their flag in the ground and staking these next few years as the one where they will finally focus on winning with what they have in house. They aren’t there yet, but Gordon will be an anchor the team can depend on as they grow and hopefully move up the standings.</p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-city-royals/2012/3/31/2916036/alex-gordon-extension-royals-commitment-winningMatt Conner2012-03-30T18:03:00-05:002012-03-30T18:03:00-05:00Alex Gordon Signs Long-Term Deal With The Kansas City Royals
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<p>On Friday evening the <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kansas City Royals</a> announced they have come to an agreement on a four-year contract extension with left fielder <span>Alex Gordon</span>. The contract includes a player option for a fifth season.</p>
<p>Gordon, the second overall pick in the 2007 MLB Draft, finally came out his shell last season and put together a career year in which he hit .303/.376/.502 with 23 home runs and 87 RBI. According to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=5209&position=3B/OF">Fangraphs</a>, Gordon was a $31.3 million player last season, but more importantly he was worth 6.9 wins to the club.</p>
<p>At age 28, Gordon will now be spending the prime seasons of his career with the team at Kauffman Stadium. With the recent signing of <span>Salvador Perez</span>, the Royals are continuing to put pieces together to keep a core group of players together for the future. However the biggest piece of the pie remaining on the Royals plate is that of first basemen <span>Eric Hosmer</span>.</p>
<p>Financials of the contract are four years for $37.5 million, with 2016 (the player option year) being $12.5 million. Gordon will earn $6 million this season, $9 million next year, $10 million in 2014 and $12.5 million in 2015.</p>
<p>On the surface is appears the Royals have done well folks, with both the signing and the money involved.</p>
<p>For continued Royals discussion, make sure to head on over to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.royalsreview.com"><i><b>Royals Review</b></i></a>. RR is your home for Kansas City Royals talk on the SB Nation network of blogs.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-city-royals/2012/3/30/2915132/alex-gordon-signs-long-term-deal-with-the-kansas-city-royalsMatthew Hays