UPDATE: The Royals will give Gordon the qualifying offer.
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The Kansas City Royals are riding high. They just captured their first World Series title in 30 years and over 800,000 people showed up to the parade on Tuesday.
However, MLB free agency begins on Saturday and that could pose a bit of an issue.
All-Star outfielder Alex Gordon has declined his $12.5 million player option (which rose to $13.75 million due to performance incentives) for the 2016 season and will elect to become a free agent.
While this was almost a foregone conclusion, it's still nothing for Royals fans to be thrilled about. Gordon, 31, is arguably the best left fielder in the MLB and he'll have many suitors once teams are allowed to negotiate with players.
However, the Royals do have two aspects in their favor. The first is that Gordon expressed a willingness to remain in Kansas City and said he hopes it "works out." Additionally, he'll be joining a stacked free agent class of All-Star outfielders that includes Jason Heyward, Yoenis Cespedes and Justin Upton. Dexter Fowler, Denard Span, Gerardo Parra and Colby Rasmus are among the others.
Perhaps the demand for his services won't be as high because younger talented outfielders are available as well.
Nonetheless, Gordon is still expected to cash in on a long-term deal and it's up to the Royals if they want to make such a commitment.
"Gordon could command a five-year contract worth as much as $20 million per season, according to rival executives," writes Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star. "The Royals would prefer a shorter deal, in deference to both Gordon's age (he turns 32 next season) and the rising costs of teammates Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas. Team officials have suggested it will be up to ownership to decide if Gordon is worth the expense."
The Royals' payroll should increase with their World Series victory, so that could be a huge factor in the process.
Gordon has been an All-Star for three straight seasons and he should capture his fifth consecutive Gold Glove later this month. The 31-year-old batted .271/.377/.432 with 40 runs scored, 13 home runs and 48 RBI in 104 games this past season (he missed two months with a groin injury).
He's undoubtedly the most valuable player on the Royals considering his all-around contribution to the team.
Stay tuned for updates on his status as the next few weeks progress.