The Athletics conducted their business last offseason a bit differently from what had become the norm in recent years.
Rather than wait for top players to inch closer to free agency, the A’s made an effort to lock up some key members of the core group they believe will help them compete for the playoffs again in the coming years, first signing slugger Brent Rooker to a five-year extension, before extending Lawrence Butler with a seven-year deal and manager Mark Kotsay on a three-year pact during Spring Training.
That new philosophy does not appear to be a one-off. Shortly after the end of the 2025 season, A’s general manager David Forst was asked about the potential for more long-term deals for core players and indicated that those discussions are expected to be had this winter.
“It is a possibility,” Forst said. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with ownership about wanting to continue that model and locking guys up into our time in Las Vegas. It’s a two-way street, but I imagine we’ll be initiating some of those conversations in the next months.”
The A’s plan to move into their new ballpark on the Las Vegas strip in 2028. With that in mind, the club wants to make a grand arrival upon relocating to Southern Nevada with a competitive team, which means continuing to gradually up their payroll, which sat roughly around $78 million in ‘25, during their current temporary stay at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento.
“I expect our payroll will increase,” Forst said. “I don’t have exact numbers yet. [Owner] John [Fisher] and I will continue those conversations over the next couple of months. But when we made this transition to Sacramento with Vegas in our sights in 2028, the idea was to continue to build up each year. That’s my expectation.”
As they showed with Butler, who before his signing was not going to be eligible for free agency until after the 2029 season, the A’s will not shy away from buying out a player’s arbitration years if they feel that player shows to be an impact-type player, and they certainly have a few of those.
Here’s a look at some candidates for their next big extension.
Nick Kurtz, 1B, age 22
Kurtz is not even eligible for arbitration until 2028, but coming off a historic rookie campaign in which he slugged 36 home runs and became just the eighth rookie to post an OPS over 1.000 (min. 400 plate appearances) since 1901, it may be better for the A’s to pursue a long-term deal now before he evolves into the superstar he’s on track to become. Buying out his four future arbitration years would require a six-year extension through the 2031 season.
Jacob Wilson, SS, age 23
Despite finishing second in the Majors in batting average (.311) behind only Yankees superstar Aaron Judge in what was a tremendous rookie campaign, Wilson was still overshadowed by Kurtz’s unreal year. Still, he’s viewed as a potential franchise cornerstone alongside Kurtz, even with super prospect shortstop Leo De Vries quickly rising through the system. A five-year extension through 2030 could buy out Wilson’s three arbitration years.
Shea Langeliers, C, age 27
Arguably the best catcher in the American League not named Cal Raleigh, Langeliers is coming off a career-best year in which he smashed 31 homers and 32 doubles, while hitting .277 with an .861 OPS. Langeliers is eligible for his first year of arbitration in 2026, which could make his potential extension a bit more urgent.