A's interested in contract extension with DH Brent Rooker

Jason Burke | Dec 9, 2024

Aug 30, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (25) reacts in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Just a couple of weeks ago, we mentioned Athletics DH Brent Rooker as an extension candidate, and after the club agreed to terms with Luis Severino, manager Mark Kotsay made it seem like the team could try to work something out with Rooker as well.

When talking about the A's young core on A's Cast, Kotsay mentioned the A's slugger, "Obviously you've got a middle of the order bat in Brent Rooker, who we're hopeful to get something done with, to continue showing a different direction for this organization in terms of making commitments to players."

There's not many other ways to take that statement. The A's want to sign Rooker to an extension, and the fact that Kotsay is putting it out there would suggest that there have been talks between the two sides and that the team feels like they can get something done, presumably before the 2025 campaign begins.

Rooker has been the A's best hitter since joining the team in 2023, and turned into one of the best bats in baseball in 2024, ranking right up there among names like Yordan Alvarez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Witt also plays shortstop, which adds to his all-around value, but in terms of ability at the plate, Rooker is on the cusp of a top-5 swinger.

The one issue for the A's with Rooker is that while he is the focal point of the offense, he's also not under team control for even the earliest estimates of the opening of the proposed Las Vegas ballpark in 2028. The A's DH will be in his first year of arbitration eligibility for the 2025 season, and would hit free agency after the 2027 campaign, the year before the discussed move to Sin City.

If the A's want to not only keep making splashes and show that they're not the same team anymore, then getting a deal done with Rooker makes sense since that would be another big contract handed out, while also giving a potential fan base in Vegas someone to look forward to seeing if and when the team arrives.

Putting together an extension would also have to incorporate that Rooker has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining after the 2025 season, which would make any deal in the five or six year range look fairly team friendly, likely landing between $80-100 million over the life of the contract. That would be a steal, given his perch atop the league leaderboards.

Rooker is projected for about a $5 million salary in 2025, and we can guesstimate that he'd get around $12 million in 2026 and $21 in 2027 with similar production. If he were to make $25 million per year for each of the two extra years, that's right about $88 million.

This past season Rooker hit .293 with a .365 OBP, 39 home runs, 112 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and a 164 wRC+ (100 is league average) in his age 29 season. In 2025, he'll be entering his age 30 campaign, which would take a five-year pact through his age 34 season and add two additional years of team control without taking Rooker too deep into his 30's.

A five year deal seems about right, as it would be team friendly enough that they'd be able to space out the money he'd be owed over that length of time over a number of years, allowing the team to spend more later, while also providing Rooker with a big contract.

We'll just have to wait and see if the two sides can come to an agreement, and what the years and dollar amount will look like if they do.