Following their World Series victory that capped off a tremendous MLB season, the Kansas City Royals expressed interest in re-signing outfielder Alex Gordon. The veteran was open to a reunion as well, but rumors suggest that has taken a turn for the worse.
As reported last week, the Royals were said to be lowballing Gordon with four-year offers in the $50 million range after he just finished playing through a four-year, $37.5 million extension.
Perhaps that's the reason behind this report from Jon Heyman of CBS Sports:
"The Royals have been told by Alex Gordon's camp that, as things currently stand, they have "no chance" to retain star left fielder Alex Gordon, sources said. Things obviously can change in free agency, but it's clear at this point that there's at least a wide gap in talks regarding the longtime Royals outfielder.
"So it's no surprise, the World Series champion Royals are now looking around at other outfield possibilities, with Denard Span, Austin Jackson, Gerardo Parra, their own free agent Alex Rios and others on their list."
ESPN's Jim Bowden also reported on the wide gap in talks last week.
Gordon is reportedly looking for an annual salary in the $20 million range, but it's unknown what MLB team is willing to offer such a contract to a player who will be 32 before the 2016 season.
However, the outfield market has yet to materialize even after Jason Heyward's $184 million contract was made official with the Chicago Cubs. This is because Heyward, at just 26 years old, was expected to get such a deal due to his age and defensive capabilities. Aside from his offense, which many criticize because he isn't the flashy home run and RBI type of player, there were few concerns surrounding Heyward.
On the other hand, many MLB clubs are perhaps dubious of the other top outfielders on the market: Gordon will be 32 soon, Yoenis Cespedes has effort/defense concerns and Justin Upton is coming off a down year in San Diego and is also subjected to scrutiny because he hasn't necessarily lived up to the major hype after being selected first overall in 2005 (which is nonsense, just like those who lament over Heyward's value in terms of his power numbers).
Maybe the Royals are waiting for the price to drop on Gordon, which is certainly possible. However, the veteran has been garnering interest from other teams that will almost undoubtedly pay him more than $50 million, so Kansas City may be out of luck no matter what.
"So far, free agents are getting around $7 million and often more per WAR," writes Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star. "That's the math that means Gordon is worth - in major-league baseball terms - $80 million to $100 million over a five year contract.
"If that is indeed the price, Gordon does not fit in the Royals' T.J. Maxx budget. But, like any other negotiation, there are specific factors that eliminate certainty."
Gordon, Cespedes and Upton may remain unsigned as we head into January. Still, even with the market undefined, the Royals' chances of re-signing Gordon don't appear to be favorable.
