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[Las Vegas Athletics]

Analyst Believes Surprising MLB Team Could Be Contenders In 2025

(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

The Oakland Athletics missed the postseason for a fourth consecutive season after finishing with a record of 69-93 and fourth in the American League West.

In their last season in Oakland, the team had their third straight losing season.

The A’s will play their home games in Sacramento, California until their new stadium is completed in Las Vegas.

While the team has been poor the past few seasons, one MLB analyst revealed more positive thoughts on the Athletics for 2025.

“From a player development standpoint, they’re starting to enter that window of where they would be competitive,” Melissa Lockard said, via Foul Territory.

The @Athletics could be a contender, says @melissalockard pic.twitter.com/ptBJRBVvGG

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 27, 2025

Lockard describes the pattern of Athletics’ history that includes windows of being competitive and windows of not contending.

With the additional money they have to spend, she believes they are using it to add talent in an attempt to be contenders in the 2025 season.

The Athletics haven’t won the AL West since 2020, when they lost in the American League Division Series.

Although the Athletics have nine World Series titles in franchise history, they haven’t won a championship since 1989.

In a division that includes the Houston Astros, it makes sense that the Athletics haven’t won a division title in a while due to the Astros’ dominance.

It will be interesting to see if Lockard is right and if the Athletics can contend in 2025.

The post Analyst Believes Surprising MLB Team Could Be Contenders In 2025 appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/analyst-believes-surprising-mlb-team-could-be-contenders-in-2025/

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

A’s Agree To Deal With Relief Pitcher From AL West

(Photo by Noah Graham/Getty Images)

The Oakland Athletics failed to make their last season at the Coliseum a success as they missed the postseason for a fourth straight season.

Although the Athletics broke their two-year streak of losing more than 100 games, they came close with 93, and they have a lot of work to do if they want to get back to being competitive.

Offseason acquisitions for the Athletics include pitchers Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs and T.J. McFarland, and third baseman Gio Urshela.

Now, the Athletics have made another significant move, landing a player from the AL West rival Texas Rangers.

“Free-agent reliever Jose LeClerc and the A’s are in agreement on a one-year contract,” Robert Murray of FanSided wrote on X.

Free-agent reliever José LeClerc and the A’s are in agreement on a one-year contract.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 17, 2025

LeClerc is a 31-year-old relief pitcher who played all eight seasons of his MLB career with the Rangers.

In 2024, LeClerc appeared in 64 games and was 6-5 with a 4.32 ERA, one save and 89 strikeouts in 66.2 innings pitched.

Though LeClerc has a high strikeout rate and is a veteran coming out of the bullpen, the Athletics will need a lot more help to be competitive in 2025.

The team will play their games in Sacramento, California before eventually moving to their permanent home of Las Vegas when that stadium is ready.

With plenty of changes around the organization, the A’s will have a difficult time trying to win their first AL West title since 2020.

The post A’s Agree To Deal With Relief Pitcher From AL West appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/as-agree-to-deal-with-relief-pitcher-from-al-west/

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

A’s Reveal Patch Design For New Uniforms In Sacramento

(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

The Oakland Athletics missed the postseason for a fourth straight year after finishing with a 69-93 record and fourth in the American League West.

Over the past few seasons, the Athletics have faced their fair share of difficulties with two of the past three seasons seeing them lose more than 100 games.

While the 2024 season did not get any better, it was also their last season playing in Oakland.

The Athletics will play the 2025 season in Sacramento, California while their new stadium is built in Las Vegas, and they will commemorate it with a special uniform patch.

“The A’s will wear a newly designed sleeve patch featuring a depiction of the iconic Tower Bridge, which is located behind the ballpark in right field, as well as the word ‘Sacramento’ in script, all in the team’s classic green and gold color scheme,” Mike Dixon of Vegas Sports Today wrote on X.

The A’s will wear a newly designed sleeve patch featuring a depiction of the iconic Tower Bridge, which is located behind the ballpark in right field, as well as the word “Sacramento” in script, all in the team’s classic green and gold color scheme. pic.twitter.com/p8SR20lTzF

— Mike Dixon (@MikeDixon_VST) January 17, 2025

While the 2024 season was emotional for many Athletics fans, players, former players and personnel, the team will get a new start in Sacramento before eventually moving to their permanent destination of Las Vegas.

The Athletics have made a few notable acquisitions this offseason, including pitchers Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs and T.J. McFarland, and third baseman Gio Urshela.

Some of these moves could benefit the team as they seek their first AL West title since the shortened 2020 season.

Things will look different for the Athletics in 2025, but the team has hopes of getting the organization back to a competitive level in their new home.

The post A’s Reveal Patch Design For New Uniforms In Sacramento appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/as-reveal-patch-design-for-new-uniforms-in-sacramento/

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

Athletics Make Major Front-Office Announcement

(Photo by Noah Graham/Getty Images)

The Oakland Athletics missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season in 2024 after finishing with a record of 69-93.

Although the Athletics had a disappointing season, the big focus was on it being the team’s last year playing in Oakland.

The Athletics are eventually moving to Las Vegas, but their new ballpark will not be ready for a few years, so they will play the 2025 campaign in Sacramento.

Following the dramatic final season in Oakland, the Athletics recently made a major front-office announcement.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Athletics president Dave Kaval has announced his resignation from the team.

Dave Kaval resigns as Athletics president pic.twitter.com/0TNOJhi3Ne

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 27, 2024

Kaval was the president of the Athletics for the past eight years, and his last day with the team will come on the last day of 2024.

It was noted in the statement that the organization will begin searching for Kaval’s replacement in the new year.

The Athletics will play their 2025 home games at Sutter Health Park and share the stadium with the Sacramento River Cats minor league team.

Although the Athletics haven’t had much success in recent years, their fans took the last season hard as there was so much tradition and memories at the Coliseum.

The Athletics will be the second team from Oakland to move to Las Vegas in recent years after the Oakland Raiders also moved to the resort city.

It will be interesting to see how the Athletics look in 2025 after these major changes.

The post Athletics Make Major Front-Office Announcement appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/athletics-make-major-front-office-announcement/

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

Liam Hendriks Has Honest Admission About Last Game In Oakland

(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The Oakland Athletics have not made the postseason in the past four years with their last appearance coming back in the shortened season of 2020.

The 2024 season was another disappointing campaign for the team as they finished with a record of 69-93, which left them in fourth place in the AL West.

However, the biggest news surrounding the Athletics this season was that it was their last year playing in their home city.

Veteran pitcher Liam Hendriks recently revealed his honest admission about the last A’s game played at the Oakland Coliseum.

“I teared up, it was an emotional day, I mean, I spent five years there,” Hendriks said, via Foul Territory.

Former Athletic Liam Hendriks said he teared up watching the final game in Oakland. pic.twitter.com/JTq4CwLUBP

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) November 25, 2024

The Athletics have been based in Oakland since 1968, when they moved there from Kansas City.

The team will now be transitioning to Las Vegas, which resembles the move made by Oakland’s NFL team, which moved to the city in 2020.

Hendriks has played 13 seasons in MLB after coming into the league in 2011.

He played for the Athletics from 2016 through 2020, with 2019 being the year that sparked a hot streak from the veteran pitcher.

That season, Hendriks appeared in 75 games and posted a 1.80 ERA, 25 saves and 124 strikeouts in 85.0 innings pitched.

Hendriks did take a piece of the legendary stadium for a memory, admitting he grabbed some of the mound dirt when he went there early in the season.

The Athletics’ move to Las Vegas won’t happen immediately as their new stadium needs to be built, and the plan is to open that ballpark in 2028.

As for the 2025 season, the Athletics will play in Sacramento.

The post Liam Hendriks Has Honest Admission About Last Game In Oakland appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/liam-hendriks-has-honest-admission-about-last-game-in-oakland/

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

Athletics Make Historic Announcement On Monday

(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

The Oakland Athletics said goodbye to their home field where they played their last 57 seasons after the 2024 season.

With the team eventually moving to Las Vegas, the Oakland Coliseum saw its final Athletics game played there during their last home game of the 2024 regular season.

The move to Las Vegas is expected to take a few years as the stadium needs to be built, so the Athletics will be playing their games elsewhere in 2025.

On Monday, the Athletics made a historic announcement regarding their team name next season.

According to FOX Sports: MLB, the Athletics will play their home games at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, but they will not have a city name attached to the team.

The Athletics announced a few changes today. Although they will now play at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, they will not have a city name attached to the team.

The A's designation has also changed from OAK to ATH pic.twitter.com/oYUEBw9XML

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 4, 2024

Although the Athletics will be playing in Sacramento, they have elected to just go by “The Athletics,” instead of incorporating a city to go along with the team.

The Athletics have won nine World Series titles in franchise history with their most recent coming back in 1989.

Recent history has shown the Athletics fall off a bit as they have missed the postseason for the last four seasons after winning the American League West back in 2020.

The Athletics appear to be in a rebuild mode to go along with the team changing locations from Oakland to Las Vegas.

It will be interesting to see how the Athletics team adjusts to playing at a new ballpark in 2025 as they try to get their organization back to playing winning baseball.

The Athletics have not appeared in an American League Championship Series since 2006.

The post Athletics Make Historic Announcement On Monday appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/athletics-make-historic-announcement-on-monday/

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

A’s End Up In Expected Spot In MLB Player Poll

(Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

Some MLB organizations have a lousy reputation among fans.

They are the ones following their team’s moves and transactions, but not just that, but also the way they treat employees, players, and their supporters.

As a result, fans are able to paint a picture about which franchises have the worst reputation.

That’s true for fans, but players can form their own opinion, too.

In fact, they have even more insight than the average fan, because they talk to each other about past experiences with their other (or even current) clubs.

Of course, you will rarely see players going to social media and criticizing specific teams: not only is it frowned upon in the industry, but it could also limit their suitors should they reach free agency.

However, The Athletic conducted an anonymous player poll to see where they stand when it comes to lousy organizations in baseball.

The results are interesting, but unsurprising.

From @TheAthleticMLB's player poll, posted today.

Read: https://t.co/ZuakLMuHrX pic.twitter.com/5rMveAnyhN

— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) June 10, 2024

Los Angeles Angels insider Sam Blum posted the results on his Twitter account and while the Halos finished third with 14 votes, 40 players voted for the Oakland Athletics.

It’s easy to see why: their owner, John Fisher, clearly cares more about his own interests than those of fans.

He moved the franchise out of Oakland and has failed to put a competitive team on the field for years.

The Chicago White Sox, quite likely the worst squad in baseball right now, are second with 19 votes.

After the Angels, the Colorado Rockies and the New York Mets complete the top five on this unfortunate list.

The post A’s End Up In Expected Spot In MLB Player Poll appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/as-end-up-in-expected-spot-in-mlb-player-poll/

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

Video Shows The Nightmare Of Facing A’s Closer Mason Miller

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

After being somewhat decent for a while, the Oakland Athletics have lost eight of their last 10 and have been ceding ground in the AL West.

Still, there is no denying they are far better and more entertaining than last year.

One of the reasons why Oakland makes for good TV is because of Mason Miller.

The flame-throwing reliever is one of the best closers in baseball, perhaps even the best at this point.

The eye test and the stats rarely lie, and Miller excels at both.

Just take a look at his stuff from the hitter’s perspective.

“Mason Miller’s stuff looks unhittable from any angle,” MLB tweeted.

Mason Miller's stuff looks unhittable from any angle.

pic.twitter.com/7qlApcwWSZ

— MLB (@MLB) May 22, 2024

You can watch the video of Miller blowing hitters away with his 100+ fastball and his filthy breaking ball.

You can see how hard it is for batters to time his fastball: it’s almost impossible, and it feels like one has to start swinging even before the ball leaves Miller’s hand.

He can reach 103 and even 104 mph on occasion, making life very difficult for hitters.

In 20.1 innings, he has conceded just seven hits and two runs for a 0.89 ERA.

His WHIP is a ridiculous 0.59, and his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) is an unfathomable -0.15.

Miller has only given away five free passes, and has struck out a whopping 41 hitters.

That’s unbelievable.

Naturally, many teams would love to have a reliever like Miller and, as a result, he might be one of the most coveted pieces ahead of the trade deadline.

If Oakland ever wants to be competitive, however, they should keep him and probably extend him for the long haul.

The post Video Shows The Nightmare Of Facing A’s Closer Mason Miller appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/video-shows-the-nightmare-of-facing-as-closer-mason-miller/

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

Analyst Predicts Potential Landing Spots For A’s Star Closer

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Oakland Athletics have been surprisingly decent this year, with a 19-26 record.

Still, they are highly unlikely to seriously compete this year or next, for that matter.

As long as they keep rebuilding, their good players will attract trade interest and they will listen.

As good as Mason Miller is, he is no exception to the rule.

“Teams have expressed interest in Mason Miller, and reports suggest that the A’s are considering offers,” B/R Walk-Off tweeted.

Teams have expressed interest in Mason Miller, and reports suggest that the A's are considering offers

@zachrymer pic.twitter.com/7ttTDBHx4n

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 15, 2024

B/R Walk-Off analyst Zach Rymer shared Miller’s top-ten landing spots, and the Chicago Cubs came out on top.

Their late-inning situation is a bit murky, with Hector Neris and Adbert Alzolay being inconsistent and shaky at times.

Having a guy like Miller, who can throw 103-mph darts and dominate opposing hitters to the tune of a 0.98 ERA and a 5/38 BB/K ratio in 18.1 innings, could push them past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central race.

Oakland is likely open to discussing potential trade scenarios for a variety of reasons.

One, relievers are highly volatile and injury-prone, or at least those who throw 100+ mph.

Two, this might be the moment in which Miller is most valuable: young, talented, and cheap for a long time.

That maximizes his potential return package.

Teams on the list need to have a strong farm to entice the A’s into talking, and the Cubs do.

The Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and, of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers complete the top five.

Will Miller be dealt this year?

As unlikely as it sounds, it’s always a possibility.

The post Analyst Predicts Potential Landing Spots For A’s Star Closer appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/analyst-predicts-potential-landing-spots-for-as-star-closer/

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

Oakland A’s Reliever Earns Deserved Honor

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Oakland Athletics might not be true contenders, but they have been awfully entertaining this year.

They are 15-17, very close to playing .500 ball.

Yes, their future is not in Oakland and perhaps fans are more focused on that than on the actual performance of the 2024 team, but they do have some really good players.

Tyler Nevin (four home runs, .875 OPS) is among the hottest players in baseball at the moment, Paul Blackburn has been a solid starter, and some of the relievers (like Lucas Erceg, for example) are blossoming.

There might not be a more exciting and consistently dominant player on the A’s roster than closer Mason Miller, though.

Miller is a show of his own, touching 103 mph with his blazing fastballs and fooling hitters left and right.

He was just named the American League Reliever of the Month for his performances in March/April, and it’s hard to think about someone more deserving.

“Mason Miller (OAK): 11 G, 1.35 ERA, 8 SV, 18.9 K/9. Ryan Helsley (STL): 16 G, 1.69 ERA, 10 SV, 10.7 K/9. Your AL and NL Relievers of the Month for March/April!” MLB tweeted.

Mason Miller (OAK): 11 G, 1.35 ERA, 8 SV, 18.9 K/9
Ryan Helsley (STL): 16 G, 1.69 ERA, 10 SV, 10.7 K/9

Your AL and NL Relievers of the Month for March/April! pic.twitter.com/DQkFzQuZB8

— MLB (@MLB) May 3, 2024

The most impressive number about his line is definitely the 18.9 K/9.

K/9 means strikeouts per nine innings, so Miller, for every 27 outs, gets almost 19 via the strikeout.

That’s absurd, and very hard to maintain over the course of a long season.

Still, he is no fluke: he is very likely to end the year with at least a 15 K/9 mark if he stays healthy.

That last part might not be easy to come by given the velocity at which he throws the ball, but let’s hope we can all enjoy Miller for as long as he pitches.

Opposing hitters don’t find him fun to face, though.

The post Oakland A’s Reliever Earns Deserved Honor appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/oakland-as-reliever-earns-deserved-honor/

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

A’s Announce Las Vegas Jersey Patch Sponsorship

The A’s announced on Friday evening that they’ve reached a three-year advertising partnership with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). As part of the agreement, they’ll have “Las Vegas” jersey patches on their uniform sleeves during their three seasons in Sacramento. The A’s will wear a Sacramento patch on the opposite arm for at least the 2025 season.

“For the Athletics, this partnership is more than just a jersey patch—it’s the beginning of the transition to our new home,” A’s owner John Fisher said in a press release. “This is a chance to wear our hearts on our sleeves for the next three years before bringing the vibrant spirit of our new home front and center across our uniform.”

Steve Hill, the head of the LVCVA, tells Evan Drellich of The Athletic that the deal will pay the A’s $8.25MM over the next three seasons: $2.5MM this season, $2.75MM next year, and $3MM in 2028. Hill acknowledged that it’s rare for a team to don an advertisement for a city in which they’re not currently playing.

“Frankly, one of the reasons that something like this hasn’t been done, at least for a team that’s moving, is that they’re still in the city they’re moving from,” Hill told Drellich. “We couldn’t have done this with the Raiders (who moved directly from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020), for example, because it would have just been rude. They’re in the city they’re moving from, and that’s kind of in your face, just not appropriate. But because (the A’s are) moving to Sacramento for three years before coming here, it opened up that possibility of doing that.”

The A’s plan to break ground on their 33,000-seat stadium in Las Vegas within the next few months. The team released their latest set of renderings for that facility on Thursday (link via Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). Newly-hired club president Marc Badain told Drellich on Thursday that he has “no doubts on that at all” when asked if the ballpark will be ready in time for the 2028 season.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/as-announce-las-vegas-jersey-patch-sponsorship.html

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

A’s, Lawrence Butler Agree To Seven-Year Extension

March 7: Butler’s deal will pay him a $3MM signing bonus and $2.25MM in 2025, Evan Drellich of The Athletic reports. He’ll then earn salaries of $3.25MM, $5MM, $8MM, $10MM, $14MM and $16MM from 2026-31. The Athletics’ option checks in at $20MM and comes with a $4MM buyout. The contract also contains escalators that can push the option value north to $26MM, per the report. In all, Butler can max out at $87.5MM over eight years if he hits all those escalators and the option is picked up.

March 6: The A’s are in agreement with right fielder Lawrence Butler on a seven-year, $65.5MM extension, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. There’s a club option for an eighth season. The contract buys out at least two free agent seasons, while the option covers a third would-be free agent year. The team has yet to announce the signing, which is pending a physical. Butler is represented by CAA Sports.

A sixth-round pick out of high school in 2018, Butler struggled over his first couple minor league seasons. Things clicked for him in Low-A in 2021, and he continued to hit his way up the ladder. The lefty hitter reached the majors in 2023 and hit .211 over his first 42 games. While he got out to another relatively slow start last year, a monster second half demonstrated his potential.

Butler raked at a .300/.345/.553 clip with 13 homers and 32 extra-base hits after the All-Star Break. Among qualified hitters, he ranked 10th in wRC+ over that stretch. The nine more productive batters in the second half are stars: Aaron Judge, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bobby Witt Jr., Yordan Alvarez, Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, Francisco Lindor, Jackson Merrill, and teammate Brent Rooker.

It’s impressive company, though it’s worth noting that Eugenio Suárez and Gavin Lux were among those closely behind Butler in second-half production. Three months is still a relatively small sample size. Butler went into last year’s All-Star Break as a career .205/.260/.337 hitter. He had fanned in almost 30% of his plate appearances to that point. He sliced the strikeouts to a tidy 19.8% clip in the second half. The whiffs began to creep back up in September, though he still managed a .280/.330/.409 in the season’s final month.

The A’s believe he’ll build off that strong finish. Butler ended the season with a .262/.317/.490 slash across 451 plate appearances. He hit 22 homers and went a perfect 18-18 on stolen base attempts. While most of his playing time came against right-handed pitching, he more than held his own in unfavorable platoon settings. Butler hit .291 with five homers in 89 plate appearances against southpaws.

Butler led off for Mark Kotsay throughout the second half. He has sufficient on-base skills to hit atop the lineup or the power to slot into the order’s middle third. He’s an effective baserunner who’ll play every day in right field. Statcast and Defensive Runs Saved each graded him as a league average defender over 955 1/3 innings. Butler has solid speed and arm strength, so he probably has the tools to be an above-average corner outfield defender. He started 32 games in center field as a rookie, but he only played four MLB innings there last season. JJ Bleday will play up the middle on most days.

The A’s had Butler under club control for five seasons. He wasn’t on track to reach arbitration for another two years. There have been a few recent extensions for hitters in that 1-2 year service bucket. The Pirates inked third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to an eight-year, $70MM guarantee in 2022. The Rockies signed a seven-year, $63.5MM extension with shortstop Ezequiel Tovar last spring. The Nationals hammered out an eight-year, $50MM agreement with catcher Keibert Ruiz two seasons ago.

Butler has shown a higher offensive ceiling than all those players had at the time of their deals. They’d each been top prospects and played more valuable positions, though. Tovar and Hayes were already plus defenders. Butler’s deal puts him alongside the Hayes and Tovar contracts. That’s a reasonable landing spot. Butler locks in a significant sum that hedges against injury or regression. The A’s buy into his breakout relatively early. If they’d waited until next offseason, another strong season would probably have pushed Butler’s asking price beyond nine figures.

The A’s have now signed three of the four largest contracts in franchise history over the past few months. Their three-year, $67MM free agent deal with Luis Severino stands as their biggest ever. They signed Rooker to a five-year, $60MM extension with a sixth-year club option. As shown on MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, this is the first time the A’s have extended a pre-arbitration player since their $10MM deal with Sean Doolittle in April 2014.

The spike in spending has coincided with the franchise’s three-year move to Sacramento. They’ve reportedly needed to get their competitive balance tax number to $105MM in order to avoid a grievance from the MLB Players Association regarding their use of revenue sharing funds. They’d already achieved that between deals for Severino, Rooker, and reliever José Leclerc, as well as the trade for starter Jeffrey Springs.

Butler joins Rooker as the only players under contract through at least 2028, the scheduled opening of their Las Vegas ballpark. The option extends their control window through 2032. Butler would hit free agency after his age-31 season if they exercise the option.

It’s possible this is the first of a handful of spring deals for the A’s. General manager David Forst told Evan Drellich of The Athletic last month that the team had opened talks with multiple players. MLBTR highlighted a few of their extension candidates in a post for Front Office subscribers last week.

Image courtesy of Imagn.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/as-lawrence-butler-agree-to-seven-year-extension.html

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

Athletics Announce Marc Badain As New President

The Athletics announced that Marc Badain will be the club’s new president, per Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Badain is most notable for having previously been president of the NFL’s Raiders, who moved to Las Vegas in his time in that job. He will replace Dave Kaval, who announced his resignation from the position in December. Sandy Dean was named interim president when Kaval stepped down but will now serve as vice chairman.

“We are excited to welcome Marc to the Athletics,” A’s owner John Fisher said in a statement. “His vast experience, particularly his work on the opening of Allegiant Stadium and overseeing the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas, makes him a great addition to our team at this pivotal moment. His leadership, commitment to the community, and ability to oversee transformative projects will be key as we look to build a strong and successful future in Southern Nevada.”

Badain served as president of the Raiders from 2013 to 2021. At the start of that time frame, the Raiders played their home games in Oakland Coliseum, sharing the facility with the Athletics. Looking for a new stadium, the Raiders started to explore the possibility of moving to Las Vegas in 2015. Those plans gradually became reality and the move was approved in 2017, though the Raiders stayed in Oakland through the end of the 2019 NFL season, moving into their new stadium in Vegas in 2020.

Badain then resigned in 2021. Per a report from Daniel Kaplan and Tashan Reed of The Athletic in October of 2021, Raiders owner Mark Davis said that “accounting irregularities” prompted the resignation. He said the team “overpaid our taxes…we paid more than we owe,” a matter that “may have started in Oakland.” Badain has since been working with the Oak View Group, trying to build a hotel and casino complex with a venue capable of hosting an NBA team.

Controversial finish aside, there are some clear parallels between his Raiders tenure and the current state of the Athletics. The A’s are in a similar position to where the Raiders were a few years ago. The baseball club is planning to play out of a new stadium in Vegas starting with the 2028 season. They failed to work out a deal to stay in Oakland beyond the end of their 2024 lease of the Coliseum, so they are going to play out of Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento for the 2025-27 seasons. That is normally the home of the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the Giants. The A’s and River Cats plan to share the park for the next three years.

The detour to West Sacramento is a notable difference, but the journey of the two franchises is otherwise quite similar. Since Badain has already steered one franchise from the Oakland Coliseum to a new facility in Las Vegas, the A’s seem to be banking on his experience to guide them through the process in the coming years.

“I’m honored to join the Athletics and help guide the team into a new era of success,” Badain said in the news release. “Las Vegas is a city that celebrates innovation and excellence, and I’m excited to work alongside the team, the fans, and the community to create something extraordinary.”

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/athletics-announce-marc-badain-as-new-president.html

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

A’s Shut Brady Basso Down Due To Shoulder Strain

The A’s have shut southpaw Brady Basso down for the time being due to a shoulder strain, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. There’s currently no timetable for his return to throwing.

While Basso wasn’t guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster — he still has a pair of minor league option years remaining — his solid rookie showing in 2024 put him in position to genuinely compete to break camp. A 16th-round pick back in 2019, Basso pitched the first 22 1/3 innings of his MLB career last season and logged a 4.03 earned run average with a 20.4% strikeout rate, 5.4% walk rate and 42% grounder rate. That came on the heels of a 4.55 ERA, 27.5 K% and 6.3 BB% in 93 innings (18 starts, four relief appearances) between Double-A and Triple-A.

The Athletics currently have Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs and JP Sears locked into rotation spots. Last season’s Rule 5 pick, Mitch Spence, very likely pitched his way into the fourth rotation spot with a nice rookie effort. Basso was in competition with Osvaldo Bido, Joey Estes, J.T. Ginn and Hogan Harris for a remaining rotation spot. It’s also possible he could’ve cracked the bullpen as a second lefty alongside veteran T.J. McFarland.

Through the first few weeks of camp, Basso had only strengthened his case. While Ginn, Bido and Estes have been hit hard and Harris has struggled with his command, Basso has rattled off 4 1/3 scoreless — and hitless — innings. He’s only allowed one of 14 opponents to reach (a walk) and had fanned four batters. Things can change in a hurry in a small spring sample, but to this point he could scarcely have done more with the opportunities he’d been given.

The A’s will have more information on his timeline for recovery in the days and weeks ahead, but a shutdown at this point effectively takes him out of the running for the Opening Day roster. If there’s a strain of any real significance, Basso could be a 60-day IL candidate the next time the team needs a 40-man roster spot, but that’ll hinge on the forthcoming prognosis and recovery timetable.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/athletics-brady-basso-shut-down-shoulder-strain.html

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

A’s Continuing To Give Tyler Soderstrom Catching Reps

The A’s remain open to the possibility of using Tyler Soderstrom as their backup catcher, manager Mark Kotsay tells Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. The former first-round pick got the start behind the dish in yesterday’s Spring Training matchup with Seattle.

“What we talked about with Tyler is continuing to keep that skill set,” Kotsay told Gallegos. “It gives us an opportunity to have a player that provides maybe a role for us that would allow maybe another bench spot.” The A’s will use Shea Langeliers as their starting catcher for the third consecutive season. They would gain some bench flexibility if they’re comfortable with the 23-year-old Soderstrom as Langeliers’ backup. Otherwise, he’d be the primary first baseman.

Soderstrom was drafted as a bat-first catching prospect out of high school in 2020. His bat pushed him quickly through the minor leagues. He’s a .272/.339/.532 hitter in the minors. Soderstrom hasn’t found anywhere near that level of success against big league pitching. He owns a .204/.282/.354 line with a 27.4% strikeout rate over 351 plate appearances.

Most of his big league work has come as a first baseman. Soderstrom has caught a little more than 1200 innings over four minor league seasons. He made 15 starts behind the dish for the A’s during his 2023 rookie season. He got another 21 starts as a catcher in Triple-A last year, but they didn’t give him any MLB starts there.

The youngster’s only MLB catching experience last year was a four-inning appearance in a game in which that day’s starting catcher Kyle McCann was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning. Langeliers was the designated hitter. If the A’s wanted to have him catch after pulling McCann, they’d have forfeited their DH for the rest of the game. Soderstrom, who had started at first base, moved to catcher.

The A’s clearly didn’t feel his glove was up to par last year. They kept McCann on the major league roster as the backup all season. Langeliers started 123 games, second-most at the position behind Cal Raleigh. McCann made the other 39 starts. Soderstrom’s four-inning appearance was the only catching work by any other player.

The A’s already shook that up last month, designating McCann for assignment while acquiring Jhonny Pereda in a cash trade with Miami. Langeliers and Pereda are the only primary catchers on the 40-man roster. That’d very likely be Kotsay’s season-opening duo if they’re still apprehensive about Soderstrom’s glove. If they’re comfortable with Soderstrom behind the plate, he could pick up around 40 starts there while playing first base on days when Langeliers is rested. That’d allow the A’s to option Pereda and carry another infielder or outfielder on the active roster.

McCann cleared waivers and is in camp as a non-roster invitee. The A’s could reselect his contract at any point, but he’s behind Pereda on the depth chart. The 28-year-old Pereda only has 20 games of major league experience. He’s a .293/.385/.408 hitter over four Triple-A seasons and has a stronger defensive reputation than McCann brings.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/as-continuing-to-give-tyler-soderstrom-catching-reps.html

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

Who Else Could The A’s Look To Extend?

Last week, Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that the A's had opened extension negotiations with outfielder Lawrence Butler. General manager David Forst declined comment on Butler specifically but implied that he's not the only player with whom they've had discussions.

"We’ve had conversations with a couple other players other than (already-extended DH Brent Rooker), and those talks are ongoing," Forst told Drellich. "It is an important thing for us to lock guys up (heading) into Las Vegas and make sure that we keep the core of what we think is a really good young team together, ongoing."

MLBTR covered Butler's extension candidacy at the time of Drellich's report. With Forst's comments in mind, it's worth taking a speculative look at who else the A's may try to sign over the next few weeks.

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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/who-else-could-the-as-look-to-extend.html

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

Athletics Sign Dylan Floro To Minor League Deal

5:03pm: The A’s announced that they have signed Floro to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

1:50pm: Veteran right-hander Dylan Floro has a locker set up in the Athletics’ clubhouse, reports Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. It’s not clear whether he’s come to terms on a major league or minor league contract, but some type of deal between the two sides is in place. Floro is represented by Pro Edge Sports Management. If the A’s need to add him to the 40-man roster, they can do so easily by sliding Ken Waldichuk to the 60-day injured list while he continues rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Floro, 34, split the 2024 season between the Nationals and D-backs, combining for 68 innings of 3.80 ERA ball. Those solid end-of-year numbers don’t tell the full tale of his season, however. The nine-year MLB veteran excelled in D.C., logging a pristine 2.06 earned run average through 52 1/3 innings. Floro’s 19.6% strikeout rate was well below average, but his 6.4% walk rate was excellent and his 47.6% grounder rate was sharp. However, the big driver of his success was a 2.2% homer-to-flyball ratio (one homer in 52 1/3 innings).

The rate stats painted Floro as a regression candidate, and while the Snakes surely weren’t expecting him to continue on with a rough 2.00 ERA pace, the extent to which the pendulum swung in the opposite direction with Arizona was nonetheless shocking. Floro was shelled for 17 earned runs — five more than he allowed in his entire Nationals tenure — in 16 1/3 innings. After surrendering just one homer through 204 batters faced as a National, Floro served up round-trippers to four of the 75 opponents he faced wearing a D-backs uniform. Arizona wound up designating Floro for assignment and releasing him in late September.

Though Floro’s home run suppression in Washington last year was clearly unsustainable, the veteran righty has demonstrated throughout his big league career that he’s better at keeping the ball in the yard than quite literally any pitcher in MLB. Outside of the 2017 season, when he logged only 9 2/3 MLB innings, Floro has never averaged even one homer per nine innings pitched. Opponents have mustered only 0.54 homers per nine frames against Floro throughout his 402 2/3 big league innings. Since his 2016 debut, 259 pitchers have tossed 400 or more innings. None has a lower HR/9 mark than Floro (making his Arizona struggles all the more surprising).

It should be noted that Floro’s struggles with the Diamondbacks weren’t simply a function of poor luck, however. The right-hander also worked with significantly diminished stuff in 2024. He’s never been a flamethrower, but Floro sat 92.9 mph with his heater from 2020-23 — including a 92.3 mark in ’23. Last year, that average velocity plummeted to 89.8 mph, per Statcast. His sinker (93.1 mph from 2020-23) followed suit, tumbling to 89.9 mph on average. Floro’s slider and changeup both sat 85-86 mph in 2020-23 but landed at 83.3 mph and 83.5 mph, respectively, in 2024.

If Floro can restore some of that lost velocity or simply pitch more effectively with reduced stuff, he has the track record to suggest he can be a valuable piece in manager Mark Kotsay’s bullpen. Since solidifying himself as a big league reliever with the Reds and Dodgers in 2018, Floro boasts a 3.38 ERA, 32 saves and 53 holds. His 21.1% strikeout rate in that time is a couple percentage points worse than average, but his 7.2% walk rate is more than a percentage point better than par and his 50.4% ground-ball mark is quite strong.

The Athletics’ bullpen is anchored by star closer Mason Miller and free agent signee Jose Leclerc. Miller, Leclerc and lefty T.J. McFarland are the only three members of the A’s bullpen with even one full year of service. Floro would add a fourth experienced veteran who could help with setup duties and take pressure off minor league free agent pickups Tyler Ferguson and Michel Otañez, both of whom found their way into late-inning roles last season despite debuting as 31-year-old and 27-year-old rookies, respectively.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/athletics-sign-dylan-floro.html

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

A’s, Lawrence Butler In Ongoing Extension Negotiations

The A’s have opened extension discussions with outfielder Lawrence Butler, reports Evan Drellich of The Athletic. General manager David Forst confirmed to Drellich that the team is engaged in extension talks with multiple players, though he unsurprisingly didn’t specify which ones.

Butler is a logical target. The 24-year-old had a big season to emerge as a key piece of a developing offensive core. Butler hit .262/.317/.490 with 24 doubles, two triples, and a pair of home runs through 451 plate appearances. He went a perfect 18-18 on stolen base attempts. The positives were almost all concentrated in a monster second half. Butler raked at a .300/.345/.553 clip with 13 homers and 32 extra-base hits after the All-Star Break.

The lefty-swinging Butler had entered the break as a career .205/.260/.337 hitter. He had struck out at close to a 30% clip to that point. He sliced the strikeout rate by nearly 10 percentage points in the second half. By measure of wRC+, Butler was among the ten most productive qualified hitters in the majors during that stretch.

There’s still a relatively small sample of major league success. Butler’s productivity against MLB pitching is essentially limited to three months. An extension would be a bet on the A’s part that the second half represented a legitimate breakout. There’s an argument to wait and see if Butler can maintain that level of production over a full season. At the same time, that’d run the risk of him dramatically raising his earning power with another strong year.

Butler narrowly surpassed one year of major league service. He’s under club control for five seasons and two years from arbitration eligibility. The A’s control him through his age-28 season. There have been a few extensions for hitters in that service range in recent years. Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar inked a seven-year, $63.5MM deal as he entered his age-22 season last spring. Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz signed for eight years and $50MM as a 24-year-old two seasons ago. The Pirates inked third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to an eight-year, $70MM extension coming out of the 2022 lockout.

Those players all play more impactful positions. Tovar and Hayes were plus defenders on the left side of the infield. Ruiz is a catcher. Butler played some center field as a rookie, but he’s stretched at the position. The A’s kept him in right field last season. He posted average defensive marks in just under 1000 innings in the corner. Butler has demonstrated offensive upside beyond what anyone from the Tovar, Hayes or Ruiz group had shown at the time of their deals, however. His camp could aim for something approaching the Tovar/Hayes guarantees, though it remains to be seen if the A’s would make that kind of investment without a larger body of work.

The A’s have historically shied away from early-career extensions. As shown on MLBTR’s contract tracker, they haven’t extended a pre-arbitration player since inking Sean Doolittle to a $10MM guarantee more than a decade ago. This offseason has been a huge exception to their typical operating procedure. They signed Luis Severino to a three-year, $67MM free agent deal that represents the largest investment in franchise history. They followed by signing Brent Rooker to a five-year, $60MM extension as his arbitration window was opening.

The club also acquired Jeffrey Springs in a trade with Tampa Bay, assuming the remaining two years and $21.75MM on his deal. They dropped $10MM to bring in setup man José Leclerc via free agency. The A’s were reportedly targeting a competitive balance tax number of at least $105MM to ensure they didn’t forfeit their status as revenue sharing recipients. RosterResource estimates their CBT number around $107MM, so they’ve hit that mark, but it seems there’s still payroll space.

Rooker, Severino and Springs are the only players signed beyond this season. Rooker is the only player locked into the 2027 roster. The A’s hold a club option on Springs, while Severino has an opt-out during the 2026-27 offseason. There’s plenty of long-term flexibility, raising the possibility of extending multiple young players. Beyond Butler, catcher Shea Langeliers, shortstop Jacob Wilson, and center fielder JJ Bleday stand out as speculative extension candidates.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/as-lawrence-butler-in-ongoing-extension-negotiations.html

 

[Las Vegas Athletics]

Reds Return Rule 5 Selection Cooper Bowman To Athletics

The Reds have returned Rule 5 draft selection Cooper Bowman to the Athletics, per announcements from both clubs. Cincinnati’s 40-man roster count drops to 39. Bowman does not need to go onto the 40-man roster with the A’s.

Bowman, 25, was initially drafted by the Yankees but was one of four players who came to the A’s via the August 2022 trade that sent Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino to the Bronx. After that deal, he posted some decent Double-A numbers but struggled in his first taste of Triple-A.

He appeared in 152 minor league games from the start of 2023 through July 28 of 2024, mostly at Double-A but with four Complex League games in there as well. In his 705 plate appearances during that stretch, he walked at an 11.8% clip and kept his strikeouts down to a decent 20.9% pace. His combined .272/.369/.450 batting line led to a 125 wRC+. He also stole 73 bases in 81 tries and lined up defensively mostly at second base but with stints at third base, shortstop and center field.

He was promoted to Triple-A for the final few weeks of the 2024 season and struggled, hitting just .218/.284/.308 in a 38-game sample. But with the speed, defensive versatility and the decent offense at Double-A, the Reds perhaps saw enough for Bowman to carve out a utility role at the big league level, so they nabbed him in the Rule 5 draft.

That gave him a chance to break camp and make his major league debut but Bowman hit .120/.267/.120 in his 30 plate appearances this spring. That’s a small sample size but was apparently enough for the Reds to change course. Per Rule 5 regulations, the Reds would have had to keep Bowman on the big league roster all year or else put him on waivers. Any claiming club would have been bound by the same rules as the Reds, so it appears no other club was willing to give him a 40-man spot. Bowman will instead return to the A’s and give them some extra non-roster depth.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/reds-return-rule-5-selection-cooper-bowman-to-athletics.html