What the A's Arbitration Decision Means for Shea Langeliers' Extension Chances

Could the A's still sign Shea Langeliers to an extension this winter?

Sep 20, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) heads to the dugout to warm up against the the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Thursday was the deadline for teams and their players that are arbitration eligible to come to terms on their contracts for 2026, and after the A's DFA'd JJ Bleday back in November, and came to terms with backup catcher Austin Wynns earlier that month, Shea Langeliers was the only eligible player for the A's this year.

The team announced that the two sides have reached a deal, and it was MLB.com's Mark Feinsand that reported that Langeliers will be making $5.25 million in 2026. He was projected to land $5.1 million in his first year of eligibility, so the A's had to pay just a little more than expected, but not a ton.

The reason that this slight increase could be important is that with each contract a player receives in arbitration, they not only set the standard for others at their position in future seasons, but they're also set to make a little more year after year until they ultimately reach free agency. That slight bump for Langeliers could end up netting him a decent increase overall the next two seasons.

So how does this impact the A's chances of extending him this offseason?

Some fans on social media were thinking that this deal happening could mean that an extension isn't on the table anymore. That could very well be the case, but this contract isn't necessarily indicative of that being what happens.

If anything, the A's avoiding arbitration—which can turn ugly as teams point out the flaws their player has to save a little money—is actually a good sign. The reasoning here is fairly simple: The A's seemingly met his higher asking price.

The one small piece of pushback here is that they didn't come to terms at the non-tender deadline, which is when the rest of the A's arbitration deals were sorted out, so there was some negotiation here, but it would appear as though the A's ultimately met his asking price. That should build up some goodwill.

So how does that translate into an extension?

It would also appear as though the two sides have a decent working relationship here, and as we noted earlier this offseason, Langeliers is arguably the most likely player to accept a contract extension. He enjoys the team, his teammates, and could lock in a pretty sizable deal this winter. Catching is a tough gig, and the wear and tear catches up to everyone.

Some have pointed out that he's a Scott Boras client, saying that's a reason that an extension won't happen, but Boras has typically shown that he will do what the player wants. He's just going to make sure that they get the largest contract available to them during those negotiations.

On the other hand, if you're Langeliers, do you want to lock in your contract for the next slew of years, or do you want to bet on yourself again in 2026, and then go hunting an extension with two years of team control remaining. If he replicates his 2025 season again in 2026, that could add a decent amount to a potential extension.

Plus, with him being one year closer to free agency at that point, the A's may be feeling a little more pressure to make something happen. With Daniel Susac now with the San Francisco Giants, there isn't a young catcher option that's ready to step in if Langeliers leaves, so he'll have a good bit of negotiating power in any extension talks.

So does his contract from Thursday mean that he won't be signing an extension this winter? Not necessarily. It could be a sign that extension talks broke down somewhere, and they just went for the one-year contract for now. It could also be a starting point that the two sides build upon in the coming weeks.