Royals present Alex Gordon with one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer
The Kansas City Royals have presented leftfielder Alex Gordon with a one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer, the team announced Thursday.
On Wednesday, Gordon rejected his one-year, $13.75 million player option, giving the Royals until midnight ET on Friday to extend him a qualifying offer before he was free to negotiate with other teams. He now has until next Friday at 5 p.m. to accept the offer.
“There’s no doubt in any of our minds that we want Alex, and Alex wants to be here,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said, according to MLB.com. “But again, we’re not going to take advantage of any relationship. Alex has done everything for us each and every day, and we've given him everything we possibly could.”
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Gordon, 31, has been with the Royals since they selected him with the No. 2 pick of the 2005 draft, longer than any other player currently on the roster. In nine years in Kansas City, Gordon has hit .271, been selected to three All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves.
During the postseason, Gordon helped the Royals win their first championship since 1985. He hit .241 with six RBIs and two home runs, including a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the World Series.
- Erin Flynn
