Alex Gordon agrees to return to Kansas City Royals

The All-Star outfielder agrees to a four-year contract to return to Kansas City

Free agent outfielder Alex Gordon has decided that there is nowhere like home.

The Kansas City Royals have retained their franchise cornerstone outfielder, signing him to a four-year deal early on Wednesday morning. Gordon was one of the most rumored free agents of the offseason, but ultimately decided to stay home with the team he has spent his entire career with.

There had been many debates about the negotiations between team and player, with some reports stating that the team was not willing to meet his asking price, although these rumors were shot down by Gordon.

In the end, both sides made out well in regards to value and length of deal. Gordon’s new deal will include $72 million in guarantees, an amount that easily makes him the highest paid player in Royals’ history. The Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals had been connected to him as possible homes in varying degrees.

Gordon, who has been an All Star in each of the past three seasons, helped guide the Royals to their first World Championship in 30 years in 2015. He hit .271 with 48 RBI in an injury shortened 2015 campaign, but is still regarded as one of the elite defensive outfielders in the game, as his four consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 2011-2014 attest to. He has averaged 19 defensive runs saved over the past five season, which is by far the best mark of any left fielder during that span.

Retaining Gordon provides some stability for a Royals team that has lost Ben Zobrist and Johnny Cueto this offseason, and are approaching decision seasons on other key properties such as Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer.

The Royals selected Gordon second overall in the 2005 amateur draft out of the University of Nebraska. He has gone on to produce a .269 career average, along with a .348 career on-base percentage and 1,140 hits.