Kansas City Royals: Looking at Forever Royal Candidates

Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

George Brett in 1993. That was the last time that someone spent their entire career with the Kansas City Royals. It has been 22 years and counting since a player began and ended their career with the Royals organization, remaining in Kansas City exclusively for the duration of their career. That is far too long of a time.

Of course, there are mitigating circumstances for that drought. The Royals went through quite a stretch of time without any true leadership after Ewing Kauffman passed. The team pared down their payroll to the point where anyone making even the slightest amount of money was sent away.

Other players left for the allure of playing for a franchise that was putting in a true effort to win, and not have impressive profit margins. Even Mike Sweeney departed, looking to reach the ever elusive playoffs.

Now, that is potentially going to change. The Royals are looking to make Alex Gordon a lifetime member of the franchise, keeping their star left fielder for the rest of his career. While Gordon has a player option for next year, it is more than likely that he will decline it, entering free agency. That is not expected to be a deterrent, as the Royals are still planning on making what they hope will be a competitive offer.

Even if the Kansas City Royals lock Alex Gordon up to a long-term extension that keeps him with the franchise for the rest of his career, and possibly beyond, there are other players who could receive the same sort of extension.

While we looked at a few of these a few months back, let us take a closer look to see who else could be Forever Royal.

Next: Could another extension be forthcoming?