Kansas City Royals: 2019 could be the end for Alex Gordon

Alex Gordon has established himself as one of the iconic stars in Kansas City Royals history. The 2019 season may well be his swansong.

When Alex Gordon signed his four year, $72 million extension with a mutual option for a fifth year after the 2015 season, it was a bit of a surprise. Although Gordon had become one of the bright stars in team history, the Kansas City Royals were not known for spending that type of money on anyone. He signed the richest contract in franchise history at that point, one of the faces of the modern franchise locked in for the foreseeable future.

Heading into the 2019 season, Gordon faces an uncertain future. While his defense has remained impressive, Gordon has struggled with the bat. His sudden lack of prowess at the plate made the contract a disaster, one that the Royals may have loved to get a do-over on. Unless something drastically changes, that $23 million option for 2020 will not be picked up by Kansas City.

In fact, that uncertain future extends beyond where Gordon plays in 2020. He may retire after this season, interested in spending more time with his family. Of course, a strong 2019 campaign can change that thought, especially if he has a chance to get one last payday.

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There is hope that Gordon can return to form and be a respectable presence in the Royals lineup. He produced a solid .245/.324/.370 batting line, hitting 13 homers and stealing 12 bases. His 91 OPS+ was his best since before he signed that extension. Gordon also won his sixth Gold Glove last year, ranking second in the AL with 12 runs saved in left.

Gordon also ended the year on a high note offensively. Over his final 33 games, he produced a .273/.343/.445 batting line, hitting four homers and ten doubles. He also had a torrid May, where he had a .289/.337/.423 batting line with four homers over his 104 plate appearances that month.

If Gordon can put that type of production together over a full season, he would once again be a key part of the Royals lineup. With Kansas City looking to improve over their performance in 2018, getting Gordon back on track for an entire season would go a long way towards those goals.

One final year at his previous level of performance would further burnish Gordon’s legacy in Kansas City as well. He is unquestionably a future member of the Royals Hall of Fame, a vaunted defensive presence and a solid run producer as Kansas City became baseball royalty once again. If 2019 is indeed his final season, it would be great to see Gordon leave the game as the player he had been during those glory days.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon may retire after the 2019 campaign. If that is the case, he has had quite the impressive career in Kansas City.