KC still courting Alex Gordon

[Eric the Red]

KC Star: KC still courting Alex Gordon

 

Royals want to get talks moving with top draft pick

 

By BOB DUTTON

The Kansas City Star

 

SEATTLE — The Royals are still trying to arrange a meeting in Kansas City with first-round draft pick Alex Gordon, his family and agent Casey Close in an effort to jump-start stalled negotiations.

 

“Obviously, it’s important that we get him on the field,” said scouting director Deric Ladnier, who serves as the club’s point man in the talks. “And Alex wants to play. We know that.”

 

The club tried to arrange such a meeting last weekend in conjunction with its 1985 reunion, but Gordon told the Omaha World-Herald that his agents and parents couldn’t make it.

 

The Royals chose Gordon, 22, with the second overall pick June 7 in the amateur draft. He batted .372 as a junior with 19 homers and 66 RBIs in 72 games. He also stole 23 bases in 26 attempts.

 

The club is believed to have offered a $3.8 million signing bonus, which is $400,000 more than catcher Jeff Clement, the No. 3 overall pick, received from Seattle.

 

Gordon appears to want a deal similar to what shortstop Steven Drew received in May from Arizona after negotiations dragged on for nearly a year — $5.5 million in guaranteed money, including a $4 million bonus spread over four years and an immediate spot on the 40-man organizational roster.

 

Drew was generally regarded as the top non-pitching prospect in the 2004 draft but wasn’t taken until the 15th pick because teams believed he would be difficult to sign.

 

Gordon was a consensus choice this season as the nation’s top collegiate player after winning the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy.

 

Signing Gordon to a deal such as the one Drew received would allow the Royals to spread out any bonus payment, instead of paying it all within 12 months. But it would also trigger an immediate start to Gordon’s minor-league options and require the club to remove a player from its 40-man roster.

 

Sweeney’s status

 

A renewed buzz regarding a possible trade involving Royals first baseman Mike Sweeney blossomed Tuesday amid speculation that he recently cleared waivers.

 

General manager Allard Baird declined to confirm Sweeney cleared waivers — club officials are prohibited from discussing such matters — but acknowledged a flood of calls from reporters on the topic.

 

Teams typically try to get all of their players through waivers after the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline.

 

If Sweeney did clear waivers, which is likely, the Royals would now be in position to trade him — although clearing waivers would, in fact, indicate such a deal is improbable.

 

All 29 teams, by failing to submit a waiver claim, bypassed the chance to acquire Sweeney without giving up anything in return. Any successful claimant merely assumes the financial obligation of the player’s contract.

 

In Sweeney’s case, that’s $12.5 million a season — if he changes clubs — through 2007.

 

The Royals, had any team claimed Sweeney, would almost certainly have pulled him back from waivers rather than lose him for no compensation. Teams are allowed to pull a player back once within each waiver period.

 

What makes a trade unlikely is the Royals have steadfastly told interested teams they have no intention of eating any portion of Sweeney’s contract.

 

If the Royals stick to that policy, any team now acquiring Sweeney would be obligated to pay the full value of his contract in addition to trading players to the Royals.

[kc_husker]

God Damn Royals are turning into the Clippers.

[dbetz23]

I didn't know KC still had a team.

[kc_husker]

Yeah they have uniforms and the best stadium in the major leauges.

[DJR313]

Yeah they have uniforms and the best stadium in the major leauges.

Kauffman is probably the nicest place to watch a game with the exception of Chavez Ravine.

[Blackshirt]

It definitely is a beautiful sight to see the field when you first approach the lower plaza area and look out over the field, which is always in immaculate condition. Before the All-Star game the guys on ESPN were joking that the KC groundskeeper should get their lone AS nomination b/c he had been the OVP this season - O for ONLY.