Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon is officially a free agent this offseason after declining his player option for 2016. The move was expected for the 31-year-old following the World Series win by the Royals and he could be a target for teams like the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals.
Gordon was set to make $12.5 million next season as part of his four-year, $37.5 million contract and now he will hit the market as a free agent. According to Jon Heyman at CBS Sports, Gordon could command a deal that could be "four or five years" and pays him $15 million per season. The Kansas City Royals will likely make an effort to keep Gordon, while teams like the Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers and other teams looking for offense could go after the outfielder. Yahoo Sports reports that Gordon could be in line for a deal around "$100 million."
Gordon hit 13 home runs this season with a .271 batting average in 104 games and he also brings strong defense from the outfield. Gordon missed time this season with a groin injury and he could end up as a less expensive option compared to Jason Heyward, Yoenis Cespedes or Justin Upton. Gordon has comparable numbers to those players and while he is not as big of a name as some of the players hitting the market, Gordon is a professional hitter that walks enough and has enough power to justify that contract.
The money getting thrown around baseball these days is silly anyway and Gordon should be able to net a pretty decent contract at his age. Gordon has won multiple Gold Gloves and that could help him get some attention on the market. The Royals are not expected to spend big in free agency this offseason, but they likely at least will talk to Gordon and see what he is looking for before deciding to push hard to keep him or not.
Gordon is one of the best outfielders in the league for his defense and he has hit for a .281 average since 2011. The first years of Gordon's career were mostly below expectations, but since 2011 he has emerged as a strong option for the Royals and a reliable one in the outfield. The Mariners are looking for more offense along with the Mets, while the Cardinals and Tigers also could be fits for Gordon. Teams and players can start signing on Saturday and Gordon should be one of the top options on the market after declining his contract option.
