The Athletics have made a lot of noise this offseason ahead of their second year in Sacramento. They signed Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson to pre-arbitration extensions, locking up more of their core for the long-term future. The Athletics have now offered a contract to Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz, according to New York Post insider Joel Sherman.
“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.
The Athletics called up Kurtz in late April, and he struggled out of the gates. He played 16 games until he hit his first home run, but ended the year with 36 to go along with 86 RBI. In 117 games, Kurtz posted a 1.002 OPS and won the first base Silver Slugger.
If the Athletics do sign Kurtz to a pre-arbitration extension, it will be the most expensive of the bunch so far. Soderstrom got $86 milion over seven years, Wilson got $70 million over seven years, and Butler signed for $65.5 million over seven years. After showing off his offensive dominance, Kurtz could easily clear the $100 million mark after just one season.
The Athletics drafted Kurtz fourth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, and his impact was immediate. While it takes some players longer to develop and make it to the majors, Kurtz jumped from Wake Forest to the Athletics almost immediately, becoming a superstar overnight.
With the move to Las Vegas on the horizon, the Athletics are trying to put together a core to sell in their new city. But without pitching, they won't compete for the attainable AL Wild Card spots. Can their pitching meet their hitting to put together a great season?
