The Athletics have agreed to a seven-year, $65.5 million contract extension with breakout star Lawrence Butler, according to ESPN. The deal includes a club option that could keep the young outfielder with the team even longer.
Butler, just 24, has transformed from a sixth-round draft pick out of high school in Georgia into one of baseball’s exciting young talents.
His 2024 season tells quite a story. After a rough start that sent him back to Triple-A, Butler returned with a vengeance in mid-June. He finished the year hitting .262 with 22 home runs and a perfect 18-for-18 in stolen base attempts.
What’s really impressive? After that mid-season call-up, he hit a blistering .291 with 20 homers.
The timing couldn’t be better for Butler, who has just over a year of MLB service time. Without this deal, he would’ve hit free agency after the 2029 season. Now, if the A’s exercise their option, he’ll stay put until after the 2032 season.
This isn’t the only move the typically budget-conscious Athletics have made lately. They’ve been surprisingly active this winter.
They signed pitcher Luis Severino, traded for Jeffrey Springs to help their starting rotation, and locked up slugger Brent Rooker with a three-year extension.
Why the sudden spending spree? It might have something to do with avoiding potential trouble with the players’ union over how they’re using their revenue-sharing money.
While Butler now has long-term security, the team’s future remains up in the air. After leaving Oakland behind, the A’s will temporarily play in Sacramento’s Triple-A ballpark while their controversial move to Las Vegas remains in the works.
Whether that Vegas relocation actually happens is still anybody’s guess.
