As the Athletics and Jacob Wilson agreed to a contract extension, he marks one of several key players that have been locked down to the ball club, though the baseball world now wonders when the same will happen with Nick Kurtz. While rumors around the Athletics and Kurtz will continue, the 22-year-old would speak about the possibility of a contract extension in the future.
There's no denying how impactful Kurtz was in his rookie season, recording a .290 batting average to go along with 36 home runs and 86 RBIs, which led to him winning the AL Rookie award, along with a Silver Slugger. When asked about him being willing to sign a contract extension that keeps him with the team long-term, he would say he is “definitely open and interested,” according to The Athletic.
“It’s just about timing. I’m really happy for Sodie and Willy. They deserve it. They’re unbelievable players, so I’m happy for them that they signed on and they’re going to be A’s for a long time,” Kurtz said on Tuesday.
Other players on the Athletics who got long-term extensions were Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, and Jack Wilson, with the next logical player to get one being Kurtz. In fact, MLB insider Joel Sherman would report that the ball club has gone out and made an offer.
“The A’s have made a long-term extension offer to AL ROY Nick Kurtz, according to 2 sources. I received no word on the likelihood of getting it to the finish line. The A’s over the last year have done pre-arbitration extensions already with [Lawrence] Butler, Soderstrom, Wilson,” Sherman reported on Thursday.
At any rate, it remains to be seen when the Athletics and Kurtz agree on an extension, as the team is in spring training.
