Despite less than advantageous conditions in their first season away from Oakland, the A’s posted their highest win total (76) since 2021. A jolt in the arm from MLB to spend a little dough this past free agency mixed with breakout seasons from a few young players was a recipe for improvement.

A Bright Spot
1B Nick Kurtz and SS Jacob Wilson appear to be legitimate young cornerstone position player pieces for an A’s team that has been desperately seeking a few for years now. Toss in Brent Rooker, and 25-year-old OF Lawrence Butler, and there may be a real foundation in place.

A Big Concern
The A’s used much of their free agent allotment on starting pitching, and weren’t exactly rewarded for their expenditures. Jeffrey Springs and Luis Severino will be asked to anchor the rotation again in 2026, but a prospect trade for another reliable MLB-ready arm makes sense this offseason.

Related Links
2026 Athletics’ Financials
MLB Offseason Guides

Pending Free Agents

Leclerc missed the year with a shoulder issue and likely won’t be brought back into the fold. Newcomb saw action in 48 games, mixing in both starts and saves, and could be brought back on an incentive-laden deal. 

PLAYER MARKET VALUE
Sean Newcomb (RP, 32) $2.4M
Jose Leclerc (RP, 31) $1.1M

Arbitration-Eligibility

With minimal financial risk here (under $8M of projected salary), all 5 of these players should be considered as returning for the upcoming season.

PLAYER PROJ. ARB SALARY
Shea Langeliers (C, 28) $3M
Austin Wynns (C, 35) $2.2M
J.J. Bleday (OF, 28) $1M
Luis Medina (SP, 27) $850k
Ken Waldichuk (SP, 28) $850k

Guaranteed Salary

Severino finished 2025 strongly, but also made it no secret that he was not pleased with the Sacramento setup the A’s were forced into for the foreseeable future. A trade conversation could be offered here, but finalizing one may be easier said than done. 

PLAYER CBT SALARY
Luis Severino (SP, 32) $22.3M
Brent Rooker (DH, 31) $12M
Lawrence Butler (OF, 25) $9.3M
Jeffrey Springs (SP, 33) $7.75M

Team Tax Projections

The A’s hit the offseason with a $96M CBT payroll projection, $147M under the threshold, and around $17M less than where they ended up in 2025 ($113M). Will we see another soft spending spree from this front office (both in free agency and in terms of internal extensions)?

Spotrac's 2026 MLB Offseason Previews