KC Royals Show They Mean Business with Alex Gordon Signing

So much for the report that the KC Royals had “no chance” to retain Alex Gordon.

At the beginning of the offseason, Dayton Moore and David Glass promised that they would do everything it took to bring Alex Gordon back to the KC Royals. Coming off a World Series victory, everyone was riding a wave of emotion, and these promises could have been taken as being made in the heat of the moment.

As the offseason went on, plenty of speculation began. Gordon was going to get a five year contract worth over $100 Million, at minimum. Then came the report that the Royals had no chance to bring him back, having offered a four year deal worth between $48 to $52 Million. With the contract that Gordon was expected to receive, that was not going to get it done.

Today, that promise that the Royals would do what they could to keep Gordon was kept. With a new four year contract worth $72 Million, Gordon will remain with the Royals through his age 35 season. The Royals did, indeed, do what they needed to keep their franchise left fielder.

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As big of a contract as this was for Gordon, it was an equally important deal for the Royals. While we can debate about whether or not it was the right move for the Royals to make, their decision on bringing back Gordon had ramifications beyond the 2016 roster. The Royals are showing their commitment to continuing to be a winning franchise, putting the Dark Ages from the mid 1990’s through 2012 in the rearview mirror.

Yes, this contract may not work out. And yes, it is possible that this could be one of those legacy signings that Ewing Kauffman made in his latter years in his desperate attempt to bring another championship back to Kansas City. But sometimes, a team needs to take a leap of faith to bring back one of their most popular players, a player who could be considered the personification of the franchise.

In doing so, the Royals are showing that they do intend on continuing to put a competitive product on the field. They are showing that back to back World Series appearances are not enough. Now that they have tasted success, the Royals have no intention of going anywhere.

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These are not your father’s KC Royals. Hell, they are not even your older brother’s Royals. They are looking to keep winning, and win now. Bringing back Alex Gordon is a key step to that continued success.