Athletics Have Made Extension Offer To Nick Kurtz

"The A's have been busy on the extension front in recent years. It appears there is a dual motivation at play, connected to their ongoing move from Oakland to Las Vegas, with a stop in West Sacramento in between. Reportedly, they wanted to increase their spending in order to avoid a grievance from the MLBPA, so as to not risk losing their revenue-sharing status during the move."

"Kurtz is another sensible target. He just made his debut last year at the age of 22. His 30.9% strikeout rate was on the high side but he drew walks at a strong 12.9% clip and hit 36 home runs in only 489 plate appearances. He was the unanimous choice for American League Rookie of the Year, even though he wasn't called up until late April."

"Even though he missed part of the season, Kurtz was retroactively awarded a full year of service time for that award win, as part of the prospect promotion incentive rules. That means the A's currently control him for another five seasons instead of six. He is going into his age-23 season and is slated for free agency after his age-27 season."

The Athletics have extended an offer to first baseman Kurtz, continuing their recent pattern of locking up young talent. The team's extension strategy serves dual purposes: avoiding potential MLBPA grievances that could jeopardize revenue-sharing status during their move to Las Vegas, and establishing an exciting young roster to build a fanbase upon arrival in 2028. Kurtz, who debuted at age 22 and won unanimous AL Rookie of the Year honors, demonstrated strong potential with 36 home runs in 489 plate appearances despite a high strikeout rate. The Athletics have already completed several extensions this offseason and last year, including deals with Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, Tyler Soderstrom, and Jacob Wilson.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors