Outfielder Lawrence Butler and the Athletics are in agreement on a seven-year, $65.5 million contract extension that includes a club option, sources told ESPN on Thursday night, locking up a foundational talent who was one of the best players in baseball in the second half last year.
The deal, which is pending a physical, will keep the 24-year-old Butler with the A's well past their planned move to Las Vegas in 2028. Earlier in the offseason, designated hitter Brent Rooker signed a five-year, $60 million extension as well, helping solidify a core the A's hope will lead them back into playoff contention.
Butler was a revelation last year, following a short stint in 2023 during which he struggled followed by a difficult start to the 2024 season prompting a demotion to Triple A in the middle of May. After he returned June 18, Butler batted .291/.330/.565 with 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases over 330 plate appearances.
Primarily a right fielder, Butler will receive a deal similar to the seven-year, $63.5 million contract given last year to then-22-year-old shortstop Ezequiel Tovar by the Colorado Rockies. The average annual value of Butler's deal is the second highest for a player with one-plus year of major league service, behind only the Atlanta's contract with right-hander Spencer Strider.
The A's -- who will play for the next three seasons in West Sacramento after a contentious 2024 in which they left Oakland, where they played for more than half a century -- have spent the last four months spending unlike at any point in franchise history. Before this winter, their largest guarantee on a deal was $66 million given to Eric Chavez more than 20 years ago. In addition to the contracts for Butler and Rooker, the A's reset their franchise high with a three-year, $67 million agreement for free agent right-hander Luis Severino in December. The team needed to spend significant sums over the winter to avoid a potential grievance from the players' association for not putting enough revenue-sharing money into payroll.
Whether the A's can make a run this year in the wide-open American League West depends on Butler, Severino, Rooker, center fielder JJ Bleday, catcher Shea Langeliers, left-handers Jeffrey Springs and JP Sears, and All-Star closer Mason Miller. The A's, once regulars in the playoffs, last made the postseason in 2020, with owner John Fisher later drastically cutting payroll amid the move to Las Vegas.
The team is betting on Butler being a significant part of the team that moves there. The contract is guaranteed through 2031 with the club option for 2032.
