Are the A's Making the Right Call with Lawrence Butler?

After a down year and surgery in the offseason, the A's are slow playing Butler's return—kind of

Aug 17, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics center fielder Lawrence Butler (4) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Lawrence Butler is a key piece of the A's future, which is part of the reason why they signed him to an extension ahead of the 2025 campaign. The A's locked him in to a seven year, $65.5 million deal which runs through the 2031 campaign, and has a club option for 2032.

Butler struggled by his own standards last season, batting .234 with a .306 OBP, though he also added a 20/20 season with 21 homers and 22 stolen bases. All in all, he finished with a 96 wRC+, which is still right about league average. All things considered, that's not the worst down season for a young player to have.

When the season wrapped up, it was revealed that the A's right fielder would need surgery to fix a patellar tendon strain in his right knee. As he has been recovering, the A's have kept him out of spring games in order to allow him to get his work in away from prying eyes so that he could focus on getting healthy for the season.

Now, with Opening Day just over a week away, the plan is for him to make the 26-man roster, but to continue with his more limited role for the time being, and working in more off-days than would typically be expected for one of their core pieces.

Butler has yet to play in the outfield this spring, though that should happen on Friday against the Chicago Cubs, with another DH appearance set for Thursday. Butler has had the needed at-bats to get ready for the regular season, albeit on the minor-league side of camp for the most part. In his spring debut this week, he went 0-for-3.

The question is whether this is the right move for not only the A's, but for Butler.

A's making a mistake?

On the one hand, the A's could be seen as making a mistake by adding Butler to the roster when he's
not necessarily ready to tackle a regular workload. The question with his limited workload will be what the plan is to make this work.

Are they going to use Carlos Cortes and Colby Thomas as a platoon pair on a more regular basis, or could they deploy Brent Rooker in right to begin the season, which would also free up some at-bats at DH for Butler. Do they even have the roster flexibility to make a platoon a viable option?

The answer to that question would also have an impact on the A's infield mix, with both Max Muncy and Darell Hernaiz having terrific springs, each worthy of a roster spot.

On the other hand, if the A's rushed Butler back to a regular routine, that could have a long-term impact on his future, and the team has already locked him up for the next six to seven seasons. It's in their best interest to make sure they set him up for the future, while also trying to assemble the best roster they can for what they hope will be a highly competitive season.

All in all, this decision is likely the right one. It keeps Butler in the mix on the roster to begin the season, and will also see him get to visit his hometown Atlanta Braves in the second series of the season. While keeping him healthy, the coaching staff can also look for specific opportunities where he can have success, which could help him get off to a fast start.

From there, he could be off to the races as the season progresses and his playing time increases.

For more A's news and insights, follow Jason @ByJasonB on X, or the site @InsideTheAs!