The Athletics and Left Fielder Brent Rooker agreed to a five-year $60 million contract early Tuesday morning. Rooker’s contract also includes a sixth-year option for $22 million. Rooker is coming off the best season of his career in 2024 with the Athletics. He finished 10th in AL MVP voting and won his first Silver Slugger Award.
Rooker was top 20 in the regular season in batting average, home runs, RBI, OPS, Wins Above Replacement, and On-base percentage. Will Rooker be able to build on a great season as the franchise looks to make an impact in their new home?
Athletics’ Offseason Spending Spree
The Athletics are set to play in Sacramento beginning with the 2025 season. They left Oakland following the inability to agree with the city on a stadium deal. It was an acrimonious breakup, but the Athletics are looking to turn the page as they now call Sacramento home. Some of the team’s offseason acquisitions include signing Third Baseman Gio Urshela, Starting Pitcher Luis Severino, and Pitcher Jeffrey Springs.
The Athletics missed the MLB Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season in 2024. They finished the regular season 69-93 as Rooker was one of the lone bright spots on the team. He did not have much help in the lineup as the Athletics were 25th in batting average, 8th in home runs, and 26th in runs scored.
Final Thoughts
It has been an offseason of change for the franchise, and that was reflected in their offseason moves. They had the league’s lowest payroll in 2024 at $62 million. On the contrary, the franchise has committed $34 million next season to just Severino and Rooker. The A’s have improved their roster dramatically during the MLB Offseason as they look to improve their performance on the field and ingratiate themselves to their new city.
