The Kansas City Royals might be having some near-future roster issues if Alex Gordon, Billy Butler and Josh Willingham continue their success, which sounds bizarre to say the least.
So why will the Royals have roster predicaments if some of their players keep succeeding? Well, the immediate issue is with Billy Butler and Josh Willingham. The two have been big reasons the Royals have taken the lead in the AL Central over the Detroit Tigers (Butler is batting .277 with nine home runs and 54 RBIs while Willingham is batting .324 with two home runs and six RBIs since being acquired on August 11 from the Minnesota Twins). And if they keep succeeding, there might not be any room for Eric Hosmer, the team's third overall pick of the 2008 amateur draft. Hosmer suffered a stress fracture in his hand late in July after attempting to return prematurely from a bruised right hand.
But now, with Hosmer having a down year (.267 with six home runs and 46 RBIs in 104 games), where can he be used when he's eligible to return from his injury? The outfield is set with Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and Norichika Aoki, so it's unlikely they'll take Willingham out of the DH spot to move him out there. And Billy Butler took over Hosmer's position at first base, but with his recent success (.329 AVG and .519 SLG), there's no reason to remove him. Ned Yost will be faced with tough decisions upon Hosmer's return. The injured first baseman is locked in until 2018, so the team will have to figure something out.
Alex Gordon, another integral aspect of the Royals success, has been an All-Star each of the past two seasons and is batting .281 with 15 home runs and 57 RBIs in 123 games this year. The Royals have him signed through the 2015 season and then Gordon has a player option for 2016 that's worth $13.25 million. He'll be going on 32 years old after next season, but he should gauge some interest from teams looking for an experienced outfielder. If he has a good year next year, he's likely to strike a deal that will pay him more money annually than his current four-year, $37.5 million contract.
Will the Royals be able to afford a contract in excess of those dollars? It's not prudent for a small market team to pay a 32-year-old outfielder a large sum of money for multiple years, but Gordon is a franchise player so maybe the two sides can work out a deal. But for now, the Royals have minimal worries as they sit atop the AL Central two games ahead of the Detroit Tigers.
