A's Looking to Extend Star Catcher Shea Langeliers, But at What Price?
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Since last offseason, the A's front office has agreed to contract extensions with All-Stars Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson, and two young left-handed outfield bats in Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom.
Before the start of Spring Training, it was announced that the team had made an offer to American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz. However, a deal with Kurtz has yet to happen and could be a long shot at this time, given that the slugging first baseman is already under team control through 2030, meaning there's no rush for him while he establishes his value.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the A's are now showing interest in extending their star catcher, Shea Langeliers. The backstop is coming off an impressive 2025 season where he posted a .277 batting average with an .861 OPS, and 31 long balls.
Earlier in the offseason we projected Langeliers, if he were to sign an extension, for a five-year, $70.1 million deal which would eat up his arbitration years and add two more seasons of team control.
For catchers in MLB, it's very uncommon to see guys who have a power-speed combo. However, over the last two seasons, he's shown that he's that type of player, swatting a combined 60 home runs, and in 2025, he was in the 81st percentile of sprint speed among all players in baseball.
From 2024 to 2025, Langeliers took a huge step up offensively, raising his batting average by over 50 points from .224 to .277, and his OPS also jumped up from .738 to .861. Not only has Langeliers now shown he's capable of being a top-of-the-order bat, but he's also a very strong defender.
Shea's arm, combined with his 91st percentile pop time, makes him one of the best catchers in the league at throwing runners out.
In the second half of the 2025 season, manager Mark Kotsay's lineup primarily featured Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers as the main leadoff and two-hole hitter for the team. Perhaps the club will look to lock down at least one of the two stars before the start of the regular season in a few weeks.
One reason the A's could favor extending Shea Langeliers over Nick Kurtz (for the time being) could be based on their positions. While first base is usually regarded as an "easier" defensive position, catcher is the most demanding.
On a daily basis, Langeliers needs to work with every pitcher and get them ready for their start on that given day. All that time spent working with the pitchers does take away time from getting himself prepared to hit that day, which always puts catchers at a seemingly reasonable disadvantage.
There is also the more pressing matter of Langeliers having fewer years of team control left, with the backstop set to hit the market following the 2028 campaign.
Over the past couple seasons, Langeliers has proven to be one of the better backstops in the league and is a valuable bat to the A's lineup. If the team is able to have him behind home plate for the next seven-plus seasons, that would create some stability for not only the A's, but the pitching staff, as the green and gold enters their stay in Las Vegas.
Why Extending Shea Langeliers Could be Difficult
Although Langeliers feels like the strongest candidate for extension on the A's currently, there are a few big reasons that might make it difficult for the club to extend him. First off, Shea is represented by super agent Scott Boras. If you're unfamiliar with Boras, you won't know that he typically pushes his clients to enter free agency rather than taking extensions or re-signing.
Langeliers would instantly become the best catcher on the open market in when he reaches free agency following the 2028 season. If he's able to put together a couple more years like the one he had in 2025 prior to hitting free agency, he could earn himself a monster contract.
If he's looking to maximize the money he can earn, hitting the open market in a few seasons might be the decision that makes the most sense for him.
The A's are gradually becoming one of the better lineups in baseball. The club is making a move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season, and will still have Jacob Wilson, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, and Lawrence Butler under contract, along with players that are under team control like Nick Kurtz and a slew of others.
Regardless of whether Langeliers signs an extension now or hits the open market in a few years, he's going to get a nice contract. The hope for the A's is that both parties can come to an agreement soon so that they can keep his value in the clubhouse for many years to come.
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I grew up playing baseball, and also enjoyed watching and writing about my favorite team, the A’s. Being a diehard A’s fan from New Jersey is certainly not common, but I love the team and all of the current and former players so much. I currently attend school at Penn State Scranton where I get the opportunity to play college baseball.
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