A's extension candidate: Brent Rooker

Jason Burke | 3 Hours Ago

Sep 28, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Oakland Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker (25) hits a two-run home run during the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The Athletics are reportedly looking to increase their payroll to about $100 million in 2025, but they are also finding it difficult to make trades and add on to their roster because they aren't willing to give up some of their big trade pieces, namely Mason Miller and Brent Rooker.

In order to keep the MLBPA appeased and their revenue sharing checks coming in, the A's are going to have to convince someone to take their money. Walker Buehler reportedly doesn't have any interest in playing in Sacramento, which is presumably true for many of the players with multiple options in front of them. If the A's are only able to sign guys that other teams aren't after, then that likely doesn't bode well for the team's improvement in 2025.

The A's are hoping to be a .500 club next season.

So if they aren't able to attract free agents, and they aren't able to make trades, then the only logical way to add payroll to the team would be to start handing out extensions. This isn't something that the team may want to do at this point as they're still finding their way, but if it's this or having revenue sharing stripped away, then extensions it is!

The biggest fish the A's could go after on their own roster is Brent Rooker, who was the seventh-best bat in baseball in 2024 according to wRC+ (164) while hitting the seventh-most home runs in the game with 39. He's a legit bat for the A's. If you factor in his breakout 2023 campaign and combine the two seasons, Rooker ranks tenth in wRC+ (146), just behind Marcell Ozuna, and just ahead of Bryce Harper.

If he was able to put up those numbers while injured, what kind of damage could be in store in 2025? That is one reason why the A's may want to lock him up long-term. Rooker is currently under club control through the 2027 campaign, and is projected to earn $5.1 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility. As he continues through that process, those salaries will only go up.

Entering his age 30 season, any long-term deal offered up now would likely be for about five years, eating up the three arbitration seasons, and then tacking two more on. The reason he could be interested in such a deal is that he's not scheduled to hit free agency until he turns 33 on November 1 of 2027. At that point, a long-term deal likely wouldn't be in the cards for him given how the market usually views aging sluggers.

Say they struck a team-friendly deal at five years, $75 million, or $15 million per season. This could even go up to $100 million, or $20 million a year and still be a good deal for the team if he keeps producing at these levels, though it could be a bit more than they'd be paying if they went through arbitration the next three years.

This deal would also provide Rooker and his family that one big contract that every player is after when they make the big leagues. It would also add $10-15 million to the A's payroll in 2025, which would get them on the right track to appeasing the union, along with handing out the biggest contract in franchise history.

The one downside here is that if the team changes their minds and decides to trade him, then the contract attached to him would limit the potential return the A's would receive unless they pay down some of that salary. Right now Rooker is one of the game's best hitters and is arbitration eligible, which ups his trade value. If you attach a larger contract, that value goes down a little bit. Though, some front offices like the knowledge of a fixed cost.

The goal for the Athletics this offseason should be to show people that it's no longer business as usual, meaning that they need to move away from how they've operated the past two decades in trading away star players for a fresh crop of prospects, and start building around some players. Whether that means extending someone like Rooker, or adding payroll on the free agent and trade markets, it doesn't matter.

The A's just need to spend money and put a good product on the field for their new fans in Sacramento.