Gordon signs with Royals
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By The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY — The Kansas City Royals on Thursday signed former Nebraska third baseman Alex Gordon, their first-round pick in the June draft.
Terms of the deal were not immediately available.
The Royals took the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Gordon with the second overall pick, the highest first-round selection in club history, after his standout junior season.
The two-time Big 12 Player of the Year hit .353 with 44 homers and 189 RBIs for his 3-year career. As a junior, he batted .372 with 19 home runs and 66 RBIs, earning the Golden Spikes Award as USA Baseball’s top amateur player and sweeping the collegiate player of the year awards.
“This is a great day for the organization,” the Royals’ scouting director, Deric Ladnier, said in a statement. “I know Alex is excited to start his career, and he’ll do that today by heading to Phoenix to begin play in the Instructional League.”
Gordon led the Cornhuskers to this year’s College World Series, after they won both the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles.
“He is obviously a skilled player that we anticipate will move quickly through our system,” general manager Allard Baird said in the statement announcing Gordon’s signing.
Depending on how quickly Gordon moves through the minors, the Royals could find themselves with one too many young third basemen. Rookie Mark Teahen was hitting .244 going into Thursday night’s game at Minnesota.
Kansas City tied its club record with its 104th loss Wednesday night, falling 6-3 to the Twins.
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