KC Royals: Shortened season could ensure Alex Gordon returns in 2021
Alex Gordon re-signed with the KC Royals for the 2020 season and many assumed it was going to be his final year in the big leagues. Could a shortened season encourage him to continue playing in 2021?
It wasn’t all that shocking when the Kansas City Royals re-signed Alex Gordon for the 2020 season. Even though Gordon’s past his prime and the Royals are strictly rebuilding now, Gordon is a Royals legend and provides elite defense in left field.
Major League Baseball is hoping for a season in 2020 and even if one is played, is that the way Gordon would want to go out? It wouldn’t be a traditional season and wouldn’t allow him a full season to have his proper sendoff.
Even more so, the Royals don’t really have a prospect ready to play left field quite yet. Bubba Starling and Brett Phillips needed 2020 to prove themselves and without the season going on, that could force the Royals to move on from both of them.
If the Royals want to wait before calling up someone like Khalil Lee to play left field, keeping Gordon in Kansas City for another year could be the best way to do just that.
If the 2020 season is only half played or – worst yet – not played at all, it’d be sad that Alex Gordon didn’t get to have a full final season as the Kansas City Royals left fielder. There was a possibility that he could be traded, as he waived his ten and five rights when re-signing and that could make his 2020 season with the Royals an even shorter one.
Furthermore, if there is a season in 2020, Gordon wouldn’t even get to play what might be his final season in front of Royals fans. Games would likely be played in Arizona and Florida, so Kansas City natives wouldn’t even get to watch Gordon’s final at bat with the Royals.
Gordon wouldn’t get to have his final game in the stadium of the team that drafted him 15 years ago. That’d be a shame for fans who have followed his career since his time in Lincoln with the Cornhuskers.
While this was beyond anyone’s control, it would be unfortunate if Royals fans couldn’t give Alex Gordon the proper sendoff he deserved.
Hopefully if this season is significantly shortened or canceled, Gordon can come back in 2021 even if he doesn’t spend the full year in Royals blue. Perhaps he’s traded midseason, but at least fans would have a chance to say farewell to him at Kauffman Stadium , which is the way it should be.
No one knows what to expect at this point, but hopefully things return to normal and baseball can be played in 2020.