2:30pm: Kurtz tells Tyler Kepner of The Athletic that he is “Definitely open and interested” in a long-term deal but added that “It’s just about timing.”
1:10pm: The Athletics have made an extension offer to first baseman Nick Kurtz, reports Joel Sherman of The New York Post. No specifics of the offer have been reported and it’s unclear how likely it is for the two sides to reach an agreement.
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. Also, it seems the club wants to have an exciting and consistent young core in place to help them build a fanbase when they get to Vegas, currently planned for Opening Day 2028.
About this time last year, they got two extensions done. They signed outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker to a five-year, $60MM pact, then inked Lawrence Butler to a seven-year, $65.5MM deal. They have continued down that road this offseason. It was reported on Christmas Day that they had agreed to a seven-year, $86MM deal with outfielder Tyler Soderstrom. That was followed by a seven-year, $70MM deal for shortstop Jacob Wilson about a month ago.
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.
If the A’s want to sign him for longer than that, it makes sense to do it sooner rather than later. Players generally get more earning power as they approach free agency. The record guarantee for a player with one year of service time or less is Julio Rodríguez, who got $210MM from the Mariners. For guys with two years of service, Fernando Tatis Jr. got $340MM and Bobby Witt Jr. got $288.8MM. For guys who have pushed into their arbitration seasons, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has the record at $500MM.
That doesn’t mean that getting something done now would be easy, as MLBTR’s Anthony Franco examined in detail earlier this month in a post for Front Office subscribers. For one thing, Kurtz is represented by Excel Sports Management, an agency with even less of a track record of early-career extensions than the Boras Corporation.
Kurtz also shouldn’t be desperate for cash in the short term. He got a $7MM signing bonus after being drafted fourth overall in 2024. He also would have added around $2MM in 2025. The league minimum salary was $760K last year and Kurtz earned just under $1.3MM via the pre-arbitration bonus pool.
Considering those factors, as well as Kurtz’s prospect pedigree and rookie season, Franco concluded that it would probably take $150MM or more to lock up Kurtz now. He’s in a similar position to Rodríguez when he signed his $210MM deal with Seattle, though Rodríguez had more earning power as a strong defensive center fielder, whereas Kurtz is farther down the defensive spectrum as a first baseman. The $150MM range would get Kurtz beyond Roman Anthony, who only had a couple of months of big league experience and was one year further from free agency than Kurtz when he signed his $130MM deal.
Getting to that range would require the A’s to effectively double their franchise record, which is currently held by the $86MM deal for Soderstrom. The long-term books aren’t totally clean, as the four aforementioned extensions are there. However, none of those deals has an average annual value of even $13MM. The salaries do increase over time but none of the guaranteed seasons even reach $20MM.
If the A’s wait, they run the risk of Kurtz continuing to perform, which would gradually nudge his earning power closer to that of Guerrero. Even if they can’t get a deal done, they can control Kurtz through 2030. If they open in Vegas in 2028 as planned, they could still potentially have Kurtz for their first three campaigns in their new home.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images
So?
He’s represented by Excel Sports Management. They don’t have a history of doing pre-arbitration contracts, but you never know. If the A’s don’t lowball him, having all of that money now instead of waiting until he’s a free agent may get him to sign.
Cal Raleigh just signed one recently. Also remember, it’s the player’s decision, not the agent’s.
Honestly the A’s could be legit by the time they move to Vegas. I’ll have to til 2029 until the Cubs visit Las Vegas for the first time but I’m definitely gonna see them play.
He’s already made about 10 million. If he is smart, he will hold out a bit. These guys have the potential to make way too much money, to “settle” for 150 million.
Hopefully his agent says unless it starts at $100 million over 6 years, no thanks
I think Anthony’s $130 million sounds about right. Kurtz is the better hitter and a year closer to free agency, but he is a first baseman.
Anything in the $130 to $150 million is a win for the Sacramento A’s and their fan base.
Kurtz has a longer track record but its very debatable who the better hitter. Plus Kurtz is older by over a year ..that makes a huge difference between ages 21-23.
Kurtz turns 23 in march Anthony will be 22 in may..
Let’s not forget Kurtz played his home games in a minor league stadium for a team with zero expectations vs Boston ina playoff chase.
OPS+ and wRC+ are park adjusted, and let’s not forget Fenway is a hitter’s park too.
Im.not saying one is better than the other..just that its debatable and based on each guys track record or lackthereof..but Since you mention it..Anthony is a lefty and fenway has one of the deepest right fields in mlb
It’s the deepest in “deep right” so right center but its only 302 to the pole in RF which is the shortest distance in MLB. Your not necessarily incorrect but I wouldn’t use it as part of my argument because he will likely get just as many pop fly HR to the corner as he will get deep fly outs to right center, it’s a fair trade off and probably why the stadium is designed like it is to be very different and unique but balance advantages & disadvantages to both handed hitters just like LF is short but they have to hit it high enough to get it over the monster.
@poolhalljunkies
It’s really not though. Anthony is a great player for sure, but Kurtz is on another level. His numbers are up there with Ohtani and Judge now the only question moving forward is can he maintain that.
Anthony could get to that level in the future I think but right now Kurtz is already up there.
Are you seriously comparing kurtz to judge and ohtani multiple time mvps winners after 117 total mlb games? Come on its one thing to compare to Anthony..but now yer talking about generational talent and in ohtanis case maybe one of the best ever….Kurtz just isn’t there yet.in my opinion not after 117 games you can go through history and find lots of guys who did it for a 100 games then flamed out
@Poolhall I got no dog in this fight. It’s a fruitless exercise right now to debate which player will have a better statistical career. Both are highly-talented and stars-in-the-making. However, a stronger argument supported by park-adjusted stats can be made that Kurtz should have a bigger extension deal than Anthony. Nobody knows if Kurtz can sustain top 10 or 5 elite hitting. Pitchers will adjust to him and he’s talented enough to adjust as well.
@pool
“… now the only question moving forward is can he maintain that.”
Did you read my entire comment? I literally spelled it out right there. Kurtz was on their level last year, Anthony was not. I didn’t compare Kurtz to the careers of Ohtani or Judge I compared his season to theirs.
Hopefully more fans show up in 2026
8 years 180M let’s get this done
It’s a fact that overall salaries do always increase for the same reason the Q.O. always increases annually.
Of course they must increase. As long as the Federal Reserve keeps pumping out more and more money, everything will keep going up exponentially.
I don’t think that will be enough. About $4 million low on AAV and $100 million low on total dollars. If 8 years is as long as you think they will go, then 8/210 is more realistic.
Kurtz had a 5.4 WAR, 173 OPS+/170 wRC+ rookie season. Anthony signed on Aug 6th, prior to his rookie season ending, with a 127 OPS+ at the time of the signing. Anthony ended up with a 140 OPS+ for the season.
A better comparable is Bobby Witt Jr. who signed for 11/$288 million.
LF, I think TJ is about right. Maybe 10-12 years, but that AAV seems about right before bonuses for things like all-star appearances, silver slugger, and MVP voting.
tj, I think it will be a little longer than that and a little more money, but you are on the right track.
Kurtz is a better hitter? Respectfully disagree…
Kurtz – 173 OPS+ / 170 wRC+
Anthony – 140 OPS+ / 140 wRC+
Among players with at least 450 PAs, only Ohtani and Judge hit better than Kurtz.
Among 300+ PAs, Anthony was 15th.
I’m not saying Kurtz can’t be the better hitter, but definitely can’t make that claim with such small sample sizes to compare.
I am not saying Anthony can’t become the better hitter, but Kurtz is the better hitter right now. Limited sample, but enough for me to be very confident in both batters. Kurtz has the power edge so far.
jm207, you have it backwards. Not saying ANTHONY can’t become the better hitter, but Kurtz was the better hitter over a full season in 2025.
I’ll stand by that – look at the OPS and OPS+ for both in 2025, Kurtz is superior to Roman Anthony and both look like future perennial all-stars.
When the Red Sox extended Anthony he was hitting .283/.400/.429 with 2 HR’s in 190 PA’S and was going to end the year with less than a year of service time so it covered 6 years of control.
Kurtz hit .290/.383/.619 with 36 HR’s in 489 PA’S, won the ROY, the silver slugger at one of the key offensive positions, and is 5 years from free agency.
I’d be shocked if it didn’t take more than the Anthony deal at this point. Good starting point for an offer, but it should cost more.
Not even close. Age 23, ROY. Scouts point to him with tools to be really good defensively.
FJF! Didn’t make any extension offers of note during his entire tenure in Oakland. More evidence that his plan was to leave the whole time.
There was never any doubt that was his intention all along.
When he bought the team along devleoped and minority owner with Lee Wolff they wanted to move to Fremont Cisco field then that fell through. Years of disputes with mlb in trying to get to San Jose. That fell through . Then their only option was Oakland. Laney college that fell through. Then Howard terminal was last attempt. Over that time they said coliseum site was plan B and never intended to leave Oakland which they said later on it wasn’t
Right because Oakland is such a great city for sports they got the Warriors, the Raiders and …. wait a sec.
Such a lazy uninformed take about Oakland
I think Fisher was committed to Oakland through 2019, then covid hit and he pivoted to the fastest/cheapest stadium to keep the revenue sharing, MLB was threatening to stop it unless he had a stadium agreement. He hasn’t shown to be a particularly shrewd or bright businessman, he inherited his wealth and failed with Lew Wolf, at *multiple* stadium plans. He never was committed to spending money until a stadium is built and even then, we’ll see. These extensions are just smart baseball moves by the front office and also help bump up their salary as noted, to avoid a grievance. If anyone thinks this will act like a big market big spending team in a small market with 31,000-33,000 capacity and Fisher as the owner, you’re a sucker.
They could have worked to lock up the talented core in 2018/2019 but Fisher wouldn’t open up the pocketbook. It’s not like they have more revenue in Sacramento to do this.
If he was that committed to Vegas he would have moved there instead of Sacramento but that meant less TV money. Chasing money without looking at the big picture. Vegas will be Miami 2.0, a small fan base and new stadium but sparsely attended besides a few teams with big fan bases who travel and have enough transplants.
Good for them. Lock up your young stars before the big city agents beckon.
If I was Kurtz, I’d say 5 yr / 70M, lock me in some guaranteed money, you stand to save 15M over the course of my ARB years and let’s talk about a new deal in ’29.
No team options, no buyouts, the big money deal comes in ’29 or I’m hitting FA after the ’30 season.
Let’s win a championship.
ABS has no idea how extensions work.
He’s not a free agent until 3032, no arbitration until 28, why in would the As only go 5?
Fangraphs has him ARB3 in ’30 and FA in ’31.
Baseball Reference the Bible of MLB has his free agency in 3032
I know Fangraphs updates their site expeditiously, unsure about Baseball Reference.
Kurtz won RoY and has a full year of service time. He will have six years of service time at the end of the ’30 season unless he is optioned to the minors at some point.
He is on track to be a FA in ’31.
From MLB-Service Time (01/2026): 0.159 • Arb Eligible: 2028 • Free Agent: 2032
If you win Rookie of the Year, you earn a year of service time regardless of actual service time, Kurtz is at 1.0
Do it now or forever hold your peace
Let’s see if he has a good year this year. but because of the calendar April May, and June, he’ll be cycling off will cycle back on in July
Someone correct me if I’m wrong but the Athletics are one of maybe two or three teams that have never signed someone to a $100M+ contract. If fact I’m fairly sure their largest franchise contracts have come in the last year or so, one of which was, I’m sorry to say, a bit of a joke.
I’m curious how this will end up going down. Part of me wonders if they’ll try to offer under 100M as a token gesture to say “Well we tried.” But if they really are trying to be a different franchise in Vegas… who knows
Tyler Soderstrom’s recent $86/7 is the franchise high. It’s not a token gesture to Kurtz. Fisher wants to maintain the buzz of the new stadium opening with a long-term core and justify high costs to attending ballgames with a 33k capacity.
It’s one thing to say, it’s another to do. Kurtz could possibly price himself out of the A’s acceptable price range. Especially if none of us are certain yet what their price range will be.
You’re right. We don’t know actually know what Fisher’s ceiling is but it’s been incrementally climbing and unprecedented by him. Good for Vegas fans I guess?
The dude who said 5/70 has no idea how extensions work.
How much higher than Julio Rodriguez would they have to go to get Kurtz to sign an extension? About the total Witt Jr got or closer to Tatis Jr’s total?
Julio’s contract, without the bonuses and options, is a 12/210M base which is roughly 18M AAV, but he’s been doing well since then and has earned raises and options on that. As long as he’s making all-star teams, winning awards, and receiving MVP votes, the bonuses and options will continue to kick in until he’s under contract through his age 40 season. It’s a face-of-the-franchise type of deal that’s set up in such a way so the Mariners can still build a good team around him.
I think a Kurtz extension could be something like that, where he gets a pretty solid base if he’s merely a good player instead of a great one, but if he keeps up an award winning pace then he gets hefty raises and bonuses that coincidentally with being a face of the franchise.
He has one of the craziest, most complex contracts I have ever seen. AS selections, GG, Silver Slugger, and top 10 in MVP voting all add to his earnings immediately and in terms of his option years.
If the Mariners exercise their option for 2030-2039 after the 2028 season, Jrod’s contract would be the longest and one of the most lucrative in Major League history at 17 years/$469.3 million, running from 2023-39.
It’s also one of the smartest contracts ever doled out. If he tanked/got so seriously hurt he couldn’t play, the Mariners aren’t on the hook forever and can still work around it. He’s been great and durable though. Plus even with his raises it’s still at an AAV that isn’t absurd.
“So they can control him for five seasons instead of six”
Is that supposed to be a good thing for the A’s?
I think a Julio Rodriguez type of extension might be the play. Kurtz is in that tier already. Sign a fair deal initially, but if he continues to win awards and make all-star teams then an escalating scale of options/bonuses can kick in over time.
That’s pretty nit-picky for a guy with an 86th percentile Chase% and and 90th percentile BB%.
I’m sure the Las Vegas rAy’S are making the same arguments in hopes of short-changing their young superstar.
I’d be interested in an article that talks about the value of contracts/extensions on franchise value. I assume most valuations are based on things like revenue streams, market size, liabilities and media contracts, but would a contract or contracts, depending on how below-market or gross overpay make a difference. Would the A’s be worth more with more “good” extensions?
It depends on who you extend and for how much as we. The A’s have been locking up their young core of star caliber/star-adjacent players to fairly reasonably priced contracts. In turn that locks in fans who love to see good players stay on one team for a long time. That should increase the overall value, because they’re putting out a watchable product that should stick around for years.
I hope they can get a contract signed before the season starts. He’s still only 22 years old, just give the guy a 10 year deal with escalators for MVP-seasons. 10 years, 200 million…. Do it!
He gets life-changing money with the chance to get one more big contract when he’s 32 and potentially chasing different all-time records.
Judge had a 31.6% K rate in his first 3+ seasons.
My best guess on an extension both sides might consider is 8/$150-$160M. All I can say is that if the A’s were to get an extension done with Kurtz, on the heels of Soderstrom and Wilson, it would be a terrific off-season overall regardless of how ‘meh’ some of the trade/FA transactions have been.
@chandler
100% agree. It’s BS and that rule needs to be fixed to account for what happened with Skenes and Kurtz. Jacob Wilson is another example and it just crazy for the A’s to not get picks for both him and Kurtz because they missed some arbitrary window of time on their promotions.
You bring up a player that good , you should get the draft compensation irregardless of when the callup happened.
Ehh… it’s the front office’s fault for not understanding the rules and being infatuated with Seth Brown.
Kurtz’s seasoning was 20 games in AAA. They should have planned on moving Soderstrom during ST in anticipation of Kurtz potentially knocking on the door. The A’s messed up or they just didn’t care.
It also shouldn’t be based on arbitrary prospect lists.
@MLBUmp
That’s the other dumb component of the rule because it excludes the vast majority of minor leaguers from participating. They could simplify the whole thing and make it so you recoup a pick in the same round the player was drafted in. If the player was an international sign then whatever his bonus was gets added to your IFA pool for that year. Maybe change it such that any amount of ROY votes for a player grants you the PPI-pick. If you really want to incentivize teams promoting players more frequently then you need to start awarding more picks instead of just the 1-2 per year they’re currently doing.
The system they have in place is flawed at best and not very inclusive at all since international players don’t even have a role in it. Leo De Vries could make the team out of spring training and it would make no difference to the PPI even though he’s a consensus top 10 prospect in the sport. The system needs a complete overhaul.
I like those ideas
Whether you like the rule or not, every team in baseball knows how it works, and six teams have gotten picks because they took advantage of the rule. The A’s and Pirates didn’t.
No, I’m disagreeing with your opinion. That’s allowed.
Those front offices knew the rules. They could have promoted those players later to guarantee longer control. They could have also promoted them to start the season and gotten the picks. They took a risk and it didn’t work out for them.
Drake Baldwin was on the opening day roster (& stayed up the entire season) while Nick Kurtz wasn’t. Both Paul Skenes & Nick Kurtz “earned” their 1 yr of service time as a result of their performance, despite their teams delaying their debuts.
Most of the extension comps mentioned here don’t really apply. Julio, Tatis, and Witt all played up-the-middle positions when they signed, and even though Tatis moved to RF, all three are Gold Glove caliber defenders. And they all have speed. Vlad Jr. was already a four-time All-Star.
Anthony may be the closest in terms of a plausible range of outcomes. Kurtz has been the superior hitter so far, but Anthony is a year younger and offers more defensive value. Even if Kurtz were an elite defender at 1B, that’s not really moving the needle. The A’s want to extend him for his bat. Those differences will potentially offset each other.
I’d argue that Kurtz is in that tier with Julio/Tatis/Witt because his very elite bat makes up for being a 1B with no speed. He put up a 170 wRC+ last year. The others are in the 120-140ish range usually.
7 years, 210 million should be his number. Nothing less. Paid out equally in all years. This way when he turns 30 years old he can get his monster deal.
Ugh, K-rate is irrelevant for players with his kind of power. Look at the leaderboards for K’s every year and you’re going to see names like Judge, Ohtani, Trout, etc. You going to tell me those guys need to make adjustments bc they strikeout too much, lol.
Big gamble on both sides. Crazy teams commit this much to unproven players.
The Pirates blew their chance at the extra pick by delaying Paul’s call up. It was the front office’s decision to try to manipulate his service time but they outsmarted themselves instead.