The Oakland Athletics have finalized a $60 million, five-year contract with slugger Brent Rooker, as reported by a source knowledgeable about the negotiations on Monday night.
The individual requested anonymity due to the pending announcement regarding the agreement.
This contract features a $22 million vesting option for the 2030 season and performance escalators that could raise the total value of the deal to $92 million over a six-year span.
Rooker was due to exchange proposed arbitration salaries with the Athletics on Thursday, and he would have qualified for arbitration following the 2025 and 2026 seasons, potentially becoming a free agent after the conclusion of the 2027 World Series.
With this new contract, Rooker will be with the team through 2029, coinciding with the Athletics’ plans to relocate to Las Vegas.
The franchise exited Oakland following last season and is preparing to play the next few years at a minor league facility in West Sacramento, California.
According to the team, their new stadium in Las Vegas is anticipated to be ready by 2028.
Rooker, aged 30, has been a standout player for the Athletics since joining in 2023.
Last season, he maintained a batting average of .293, contributed 39 home runs, and recorded 112 RBIs alongside a remarkable .927 OPS.
He earned a Silver Slugger award as a designated hitter and finished 10th in the American League MVP voting.
In his first year with the Athletics, he hit 30 home runs, achieved an .817 OPS, and made the American League All-Star team.
The agreement with Rooker reflects the Athletics’ aggressive offseason strategy, which has included significant player acquisitions.
Previously, the team brought in pitcher Luis Severino under a three-year contract worth $67 million, marking the largest deal in the franchise’s history.
Severino has the option to opt out and enter free agency again after the 2026 season.
Following his signing, the Athletics also added third baseman Gio Urshela and left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs.
In a notable development this offseason, the Athletics will receive 100% of the revenues due under the revenue-sharing agreement for the first time since the current collective bargaining agreement was implemented in 2022.
This agreement states that if a team’s luxury tax payroll does not reach at least 150% of what it receives from revenue sharing, the responsibility of proof in any grievance regarding revenue-sharing violations will shift from the players’ association to the team itself.
As the Athletics prepare for Thursday’s arbitration salary negotiations, outfielder Miguel Andujar is the only other player slated to go through this process with the team.
