Every team in the American League West continues to lap the Seattle Mariners when it comes to spending this offseason, and that includes the Oakland of Las Vegas of Sacramento Athletics.
Of course, that’s not hard considering the Mariners haven’t spent one single dollar in free agency yet.
The A’s have brought in pitcher Luis Severino and infielder Gio Urshela this offseason, and they added to their spending by giving a mega contract extension to outfielder/DH Brent Rooker late on Monday night.
Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
Designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker in agreement with A’s on five-year, $60M extension, source tells @TheAthletic. Vesting option can take the deal to six years, $90M.
Designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker in agreement with A’s on five-year, $60M extension, source tells @TheAthletic. Vesting option can take the deal to six years, $90M.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 7, 2025
The deal buys out his three remaining arbitration years and two free agent seasons. From a money perspective, it actually seems light on Rooker’s end, considering he’s one of the best power hitters in the American League now.
The 30-year-old began his career in 2020 with the Minnesota Twins and then bounced between the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres before landing with the A’s. He hit 30 homers in the 2023 season and popped 39 in 2024 to go along with 112 RBI. He earned an All-Star appearance in 2023.
Of course, anything that makes the A’s better is bad news for the Mariners. Rooker would have been on the team anyways in 2025, so this deal doesn’t really impact the immediate future, but it’s now going to make life tougher deeper into the future.
Seattle went 9-4 against the A’s in 2024.
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