The Oakland Athletics have extended a contract offer to first baseman Nick Kurtz, sources say, signaling their intent to secure the young slugger’s future with the team. Kurtz has expressed that he is “Definitely open and interested” in a long-term agreement but emphasized that “It’s just about timing,” according to Tyler Kepner of The Athletic.
This move coincides with the Athletics’ ongoing transition from Oakland to Las Vegas, with an interim location in West Sacramento. The organization appears motivated by both maintaining revenue-sharing eligibility with Major League Baseball and assembling a dynamic young roster to establish fan loyalty upon moving to their new home, currently targeted for Opening Day 2028.
Recent Player Extensions Reflect Athletics’ Strategy for Building a Core
In recent years, the Athletics have prioritized locking in emerging talent through multi-year deals. Roughly a year ago, the club secured outfielder and designated hitter Brent Rooker to a five-year, $60 million contract and signed Lawrence Butler to a seven-year, $65.5 million pact. This winter continued the pattern, with a reported seven-year, $86 million agreement for outfielder Tyler Soderstrom—finalized around Christmas—and a seven-year, $70 million deal for shortstop Jacob Wilson announced about a month ago.
Nick Kurtz fits this strategic vision as another promising young player. He debuted last season at 22 years old, posting notable power with 36 home runs in only 489 plate appearances, despite a higher strikeout rate of 30.9%. His plate discipline was encouraging, as he walked at a rate of 12.9%. Kurtz’s performance earned him the unanimous choice for the American League Rookie of the Year, even though his call-up occurred late in April.
Service Time and Contract Timing Crucial to Extension Talks
Though Kurtz missed part of the 2024 season, prospect promotion incentive rules awarded him a full year of service time for his Rookie of the Year honor. This means the Athletics currently retain control over him for five more seasons, rather than six. As Kurtz enters his age-23 season, his free agency is expected after his age-27 season.
Extending Kurtz now could make financial and strategic sense for the Athletics, as players gain significantly more leverage and earning capacity when approaching free agency. Historical precedents illustrate this: Julio Rodríguez secured a record $210 million deal from the Mariners with one year of service time or less; players such as Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bobby Witt Jr. landed deals worth $340 million and $288.8 million, respectively, with two years of service time; Vladimir Guerrero Jr. holds the record for players past arbitration at $500 million.
Negotiations Face Challenges Including Agent Representation and Financial Stakes
Despite the Athletics’ intentions, negotiating an extension will not be straightforward. Kurtz is represented by Excel Sports Management, an agency less experienced than the Boras Corporation in securing early-career mega-deals. Financially, Kurtz has a strong initial contract foundation, having received a $7 million signing bonus as the fourth overall draft pick in 2024 and earning roughly $2 million in 2025 along with pre-arbitration bonuses.
MLBTR’s Anthony Franco estimated that the Athletics would likely need to offer $150 million or more to lock in Kurtz now, placing him in a similar category as Julio Rodríguez at the time of his $210 million agreement. However, Kurtz’s positioning as a first baseman with less defensive impact places a valuation difference compared to Rodríguez’s elite center field skills. The proposed figure would also exceed Nick Kurtz’s teammate Roman Anthony’s $130 million contract, which was signed with less major league experience and a longer period before free agency.
Financial Implications for Athletics and Potential Future Developments
Securing Kurtz at this range would represent a significant jump for the Athletics, essentially doubling their franchise record for contract guarantees, which currently stands at $86 million for Tyler Soderstrom. The organization’s current long-term commitments, including Rooker, Butler, Soderstrom, and Wilson, maintain more moderate annual values without reaching $20 million in guaranteed salary per season.
If the Athletics delay, they face the chance that Kurtz’s earnings could escalate further with continued strong performance, potentially closing toward the elite valuations of players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. However, even without an extension, the club retains control of Kurtz through the 2030 season, allowing him to be a central figure for their early years in Las Vegas starting 2028, provided their relocation timeline proceeds as planned.
The A’s have made a long-term extension offer to AL ROY Nick Kurtz, according to 2 sources. I received no word on the likelihood of getting it to the finish line. The A’s over the last year have done pre-arbitration extensions already with Butler, Soderstrom, Wilson.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 26, 2026
