So much for those who wrote off the Kansas City Royals in the Alex Gordon free agency chase. A litany of MLB talking heads are thinking aloud this morning, asking why Gordo would sign with the Royals for a relative discount when he could make more in a major market? Well, here's three very good reasons.
1. A Known Quantity
The Royals have made back-to-back World Series and have a 2015 title in their pocket. The last team to make back-to-back Fall Classics and win at least one trophy was the 2008-09 Philadelphia Phillies. Prior to that, it was the turn-of-the-millennium New York Yankees dynasty.
In a baseball landscape where teams can go from worst to first in a blink thanks to increased television profits and revenue sharing, the Royals are a legit favorite to become the first team to make (at least) three straight World Series since that aforementioned Yankees juggernaut (1998-2001). Why risk playing for a dud elsewhere?
2. System & Clubhouse Familiarity
There are countless free agent horror stories out there where a big-name bat or pitcher heads to another city and is either dreadfully misused or can't find a groove in the other team's dugout culture.
Baseball is the most mentally taxing of the four major US professional sports, mainly because of the down time between each action on the field, in the clubhouse and on the dugout steps. If a player not comfortable in a system or in a clubhouse, his production is bound to take a major hit. We're not saying it would have happened. Again though, why risk it?
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3. Business Mixed With Happiness
Alex Gordon is a smart enough businessman to understand the leverage he had as a marquee free agent, hanging back for a bit while the Royals met him in the middle financially. We don't begrudge him that -- if we could play a little bit of negotiation chess for an extra $4 million per year, we would in a heartbeat.
However, it ultimately came down to comfort and happiness. $18 million a season is by no means chump change, but the extra $3-4 million he could have made somewhere else wasn't worth giving up Kansas City. It wasn't worth giving up a fan base that adores him, both as a player and a person. He got his money. Well, most of it. But, he also gets to spend four more years as an invested member of a community he loves.
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