all-star shortstop jacob wilson and this Exercise The agreement on a seven-year contract that includes a club option for an eighth season, the team announced Friday, adds another premium young player to an impressive core as the franchise prepares to move to Las Vegas.
Sources told ESPN the contract is worth $70 million.
Wilson, 23, finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting last season after hitting .311/.355/.444 with 13 home runs and 63 RBI in 125 games. Award given to teammate Nick KurtzThe centerpiece for the offensive machine the A’s have quietly built.
In addition to Wilson and Kurtz, hitters named All-Star brent rucker and outfielder tyler soderstrom And Lawrence Butler Are under contract until at least 2030. Although Kurtz has not signed contract extensions, Wilson and Soderstrom are under team control through 2033, Butler through 2032 and Rucker through 2030.
After going to the A’s with the sixth pick in the 2023 draft out of Grand Canyon University – where his father, longtime big league shortstop Jack Wilson, coached – Wilson worked on minor league pitching, hitting .393/.439/.601 and debuting barely a year after being selected.
With exceptional bat-to-ball skills, Wilson established himself as a potential future batting champion last season and spent most of the year at the top of the AL batting average leaderboard. His power output surprised evaluators, who were concerned that Wilson’s desire for contact – he struck out only 39 times in 523 plate appearances last year – would limit his home runs.
Wilson’s all-field approach fits perfectly into an A’s lineup that features a lot of slugging, with five players hitting at least 20 home runs last season. The A’s, who added a second baseman Jeff McNeil Via trade and signed relievers Mark Leiter Jr.. Signed to a one-year deal this winter, the intent is to push his offense into contention with the expectation that top pitching prospects Jamie Arnold and Gage Jump can join the rotation in the near future.
The team is entering its second year in Sacramento, where it plans to spend three seasons before the planned opening of its new Las Vegas stadium in 2028. Owner John Fisher agreed to move the team from Oakland to Las Vegas, where it had played since 1968, and he increased this year’s payroll to an estimated $90 million. The A’s Opening Day payroll in 2019 was the highest ever at $92.2 million.
