Who Will Be The Next A's Player To Get A Contract Extension?
This off-season has been unlike any A's off-season in the last batch of years. The team started it off by signing Luis Severino, trading for Jeffrey Springs, and signing Gio Urshela. Most recently, the team decided to extend their slugger and former All-Star Brent Rooker for 5 years, making him the first guaranteed contract for the A's by the time they're expected in Las Vegas.
With the A's deciding to lock up Rooker long-term, it raises the question of who will be next. It is very important to keep in mind that the A's don't often hand out extensions, but maybe this will change with the A's looking to be more competitive in coming years.
One possible option could be outfielder Lawrence Butler. Although Butler isn't even arbitration-eligible until 2026, and won't hit free agency until 2029, the A's could consider extending him within the next year or two.
Butler tore things up in the second half of his 2024 campaign, finishing as one of baseball's top hitters after the break. If he can pick up where he left off last season, he could be due for a massive 2025 season.
The electricity and energy he brings to the team could certainly make him an option for an early extension to lock him up for many seasons to come--likely at a cheaper price as well to buy out some of his arbitration years, similar to how they worked out the Rooker contract.
A's closer and 2024 All-Star Mason Miller could also be an extension candidate. Just like Butler, Miller isn't arbitration-eligible until 2026, and he won't be a free agent until 2030. Although it seems like the team shouldn't be in a rush to extend Miller because he isn't a free agent for 5 more seasons, it can be a really smart move to lock him up sooner rather than later.
In Rooker's case, he wasn't due for free agency for several years as well, so the extension was cheaper because it bought out some of his arbitration years.
Giving Miller a nice long contract would mean that the team has their closer of the future, which would extend deeper into their planned arrival in Vegas. With Miller being just 26-years-old and this dominant, he could easily land a contract extension that would not only buy out his arbitration years, but also pay him well on the back-end of the contract.
Another possibility is Shea Langeliers. Langeliers isn't a free agent until 2029, but he's been the A's backstop for two and a half years now. In that time, Shea has shown great power with 57 home runs, hitting 29 bombs in his 2024 campaign. Although Langeliers hasn't been the best catcher defensively, his arm is one of the best in the league, and his production has been valuable to the A's offense.
The A's do have prospect catcher Daniel Susac, ranked at No. 11 in the farm system as well. Susac has been moving up the system and most recently had a .734 OPS with Double-A Midland. If the A's decide to extend Shea Langeliers, Daniel Susac would possibly be a good trade piece.
However, it's good to know that if the A's fail to extend Langeliers in the future, Susac could still be a good option at catcher for the club.
The A's have a little bit of a crowded outfield especially as prospects Denzel Clarke, Henry Bolte, and Colby Thomas are quickly climbing up the levels in the A's system. However, the A's could look into extending former fourth-overall pick JJ Bleday at some point.
There are a lot of positives that Bleday brings to the team. He's coming off the best year of his short MLB career, where he showcased a solid glove in the outfield with a great arm. Hitting-wise, he put up a solid .761 OPS.
Even with the crowded outfield, it seems as if the A's view Bleday as one of the leaders on the team for 2025. Bleday was with Brent Rooker, JP Sears, Lawrence Butler, and manager Mark Kotsay in Sacramento last week, meaning they likely view him as one of the leaders in the clubhouse for the upcoming season. Extending Bleday to be in the A's outfield for years to come would be good for the team on and off the field.
It seems unlikely that the A's will rush to extend anyone else, as they don't often hand out extensions. It might take an off-season or two to see any of these happen, but it's cool to think about who could be the next player the A's hand a contract extension to now that the team is spending money.