Report: Lawrence Butler, A's Agree to $65.5M Contract Extension Ahead of 2025 Season

The Athletics and outfielder Lawrence Butler agreed to a seven-year, $65.5 million contract extension on Thursday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Butler marks the second major re-signing of the offseason for the A's, as they previously inked designated hitter Brent Rooker to a five-year, $60 million deal.

Butler, 24, made his MLB debut in 2023, appearing in 42 games before playing in 125 games last season and slashing .262/.317/.490 with 22 home runs, 57 RBI, 63 runs scored and 18 stolen bases.

Early-season struggles in 2024 led to Butler getting demoted to the minors in May, but after getting called back up on June 18, he went on a tear, slashing .291/.330/.565 with 20 homers.

While Butler was primarily deployed against right-handed pitching since he is a left-handed hitter, he fared well in limited opportunities against southpaws last season, hitting .291 with five home runs and 10 RBI in just 89 plate appearances.

In addition to re-signing Butler and Rooker, the A's were uncharacteristically active in free agency during the offseason, signing starting pitcher Luis Severino and reliever José Leclerc, while also acquiring starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Athletics are loading up ahead of a move to Las Vegas, which is expected to take effect in 2028.

Until then, the A's will play their home games in Sacramento at Sutter Health Park, which is a minor-league ballpark with a capacity of just over 10,000 fans.

The Athletics played in Oakland from 1968 to 2024, but when repeated attempts to strike a deal for a new ballpark were unsuccessful, the decision was made to relocate.

While the A's have not made the playoffs since 2020, they showed some improvement last season by going 69-93 after losing 100 games in each of the previous two campaigns.

Owner John Fisher's willingness to spend this offseason could lead to even greater improvements in 2025, particularly since the A's play in the wide-open American League West.

The A's will kick off their 2025 regular season on March 27 when they begin a road series against the Seattle Mariners.