The Athletics and rising-star outfielder Lawrence Butler are in talks on a long-term contract extension, The Athletic reports. The parameters of such discussions are not known, which mean it could be a more standard extension that covers Butler’s forthcoming arbitration years, or it could be something more ambitious and lucrative that buys out one or more of his eventual free-agent years.
The 24-year-old Butler, a former sixth-round draft pick out of a Georgia high school, is coming off a breakout sophomore season in 2024. In 125 games last season, Butler slashed .262/.317/.490 (131 OPS+) with 22 home runs and 18 stolen bases in as many attempts. For his career in the bigs, Butler has an OPS+ of 115 across parts of two seasons. He enters the 2025 season with more than a full year of MLB service time. That puts him on track for arbitration-eligibility after the 2026 season and for free agency after the 2029 season.
“Hey, whatever the organization chooses to do, I’m happy with it,” Butler told reporters Wednesday of the possibility of an extension. “I love being here. I’m excited to be here. I’m excited to play here. So, yeah, no comment on that.”
The A’s as they head into their first season in Sacramento — ahead of a proposed but still uncertain move to Las Vegas — have been spending this winter, at least by their own low standards. Likely, this is nothing more than an effort to stave off an MLBPA grievance over how the franchise is using its revenue-sharing funds. In addition to signing Luis Severino on the free-agent market and trading for Jeffrey Springs, the A’s this offseason also signed All-Star slugger Brent Rooker to a five-year extension. A Butler extension, particularly if it stretches beyond his seasons of team control, would fit with this recent pattern.
