Does the A's Contract Offer Signal Bigger Changes Coming?
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On Tuesday, it was reported by Ken Rosenthal of "The Athletic" that the A's offered shortstop Ha-Seong Kim a multi-year deal in free agency. However, Kim elected to decline the offer and instead return to the Atlanta Braves on a one-year deal.
According to Rosenthal, the Athletics offered Kim a four-year deal worth $48 million. The $12 million annually didn't compete with Atlanta's $20 million, which led Kim to sign back there. This also allows him to hit free agency again next offseason, in hopes of getting a larger multi-year deal.
The report also added that the team planned to have Kim play almost exclusively at second base. The team would then have him fill in at shortstop if Jacob Wilson misses time for any reason. Rosenthal adds that now they will turn to the remaining free agent infielders, but noted that Bo Bichette, Munetaka Murakami, and Kazuma Okamoto are expected to be out of their price range.
Although it seems like a complete whiff by the A's front office, this is big news for the club. With this report, all signs point to the team looking to hand out a fairly large contract to land an infielder. Currently, the team has Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson locked down at first base and shortstop, but there are more question marks for the future of the team at second base and third base.
What does this mean for Zack Gelof's future?
Seeing that the A's are willing to make a pricey, multi-year offer to a second baseman, this could signal the team moving away from Zack Gelof, who ended the season on the IL, where he spent much of the 2025 campaign. The 26-year-old debuted back in 2023 and looked like a future face of the franchise. It was his face on scoreboard of the A's initial renderings for the team's Las Vegas ballpark.
In that 2023 season, Gelof batted .267 with an .840 OPS with 35 extra-base hits in 270 at-bats. After the impressive debut season, Gelof would get even more opportunities in the 2024 season. However, his 2024 campaign wouldn't be nearly as successful as his '23 season.
In 497 at-bats in 2024, Gelof posted an underwhelming .211 batting average with a .632 OPS and 17 home runs. His struggles continued in 2025, as he spent a large portion of the season injured. When he returned, a rough slump would get him optioned to Triple-A.
The club would recall Gelof later in the season, and he'd finish with a brutal .174 batting average and a .502 OPS in 92 at-bats. His 2025 campaign would end early in September when it was announced that he'd need surgery on his left shoulder. His status entering the 2026 season is certainly in question, which is part of the reason the A's are looking for a second baseman.
With Gelof uncertain to be ready for the start of next season, the team has Max Muncy, Darell Hernaiz, and Brett Harris as options to play both second and third base to open the season.
If the team was looking for a short-term replacement for Gelof, they could look to sign a veteran to a one-year deal. However, after Rosenthal's report on Tuesday, it looks like the club could be looking for a long-term replacement for Zack Gelof if the opportunity arises.
This past summer, the A's landed prospect infielder Leo De Vries, from San Diego in the deal that sent Mason Miller to the Padres. De Vries is ranked as a top 10 prospect in all of baseball and ranked number one in the A's farm system.
With him being ready to possibly take the second base spot in the next couple of years at the latest, maybe the team doesn't need to look outside the organization for their long-term second baseman. There is a chance that he starts his age-19 season in Triple-A Las Vegas, depending on how his spring goes.
Sure, the A's missed out on Kim, but now it looks like they could have around $50 million to pivot to another infielder. Although guys like Munetaka Murakami could be out of the club's price range, there are still solid options on the trade market and in free agency.
Sung-Mun Song, a third baseman heading stateside from the KBO, will be looking for a multi-year deal. Song will have to be signed by Sunday, or else he will be heading back to the KBO. Willi Castro, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Yoan Moncada are also available in free agency. The trade market could see Brendan Donovan being shipped out of St. Louis, though there are plenty of teams hot on his trail.
The A's still have plenty of options, especially if they are willing to open up the checkbook like they were willing to do for Ha-Seong Kim. However, the stove is hot right now, and there might not be a ton of options to choose from if they keep waiting.
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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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