Report: A's, Lawrence Butler in Extension Talks

Sep 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler (4) celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Athletics and Lawrence Butler are engaged in contract extension talks, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic. The 24-year-old right fielder broke out right around his July birthday in 2024, finishing the second half of the season as one of the ten best bats in MLB, along with teammate Brent Rooker, who was extended by the A's last month.

Rooker's deal was for five years and $60 million, eating up all three of the DH's arbitration years, along with tacking on two more. That deal also comes with a sixth-year option worth $22 million for the 2030 season.

As for Butler, he finished the 2024 season hitting .262 with a .317 OBP, 22 home runs and 18 stolen bases. He also held a 130 wRC+ across 451 plate appearances total, which would have ranked No. 25 in baseball had he received more trips to the plate.

That 130 would have also tied him with San Diego's Jackson Merrill, who was an All Star, Silver Slugger, second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, and finished ninth for the NL MVP. There is no doubting Butler's talent.

During that torrid second half he cut his strikeout rate by ten percent, down to 19.8%, batted .300 with a .345 on-base, an .898 OPS, and a 155 wRC+. With that kind of production, he should be an important bat for the A's in 2025 and beyond.

In his report, Drellich said the contract details aren't known, but gives the high and low comps for what a contract could look like. The first was the five-year $25 million deal that Myles Straw signed with the Cleveland Guardians, which would be the low end. It also wouldn't eat up any of his free agent seasons, so any extension would likely need to be for at least six seasons.

The high end of the market was represented by Atlanta's Ronald Acuña Jr., who came to terms with the Braves on an eight-year, $100 million deal. Drellich believes a reasonable starting point could be a seven-year, $55 million deal, with his arbitration salary projected for $25 million over three seasons, plus another $15 million for each of is free agent seasons.

Butler is still two years away from arbitration, which means making league minimum. An extension would presumably mean a little more money now, too.

If a deal were to come to fruition, that would mean that the A's two best hitters from last year would be locked up long-term, which was never an option under owner John Fisher's stewardship in Oakland.

If Rooker and Butler approach their production from the second half of 2024 again in 2025, then they could also end up forming the best-hitting duo in baseball this season. The only pair that was ahead of them on the leaderboards after the break in 2024 were New York Yankees sluggers Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, but with Soto with the Mets, the competition across the league may have thinned.

Earlier this week, the A's also came to terms with manager Mark Kotsay on a three-year contract extension that includes a club option for a fourth year, which will take the skipper through at least the A's tenure in West Sacramento.

His deal runs through 2028 before the option year, so if the A's ballpark in Las Vegas is ready by then like they say, then he would also be calling the shots when the A's make it to their ultimate destination.