The Athletics were financially active last season, offering free agent deals Luis Severino again José Leclercwhile also inking Brent Rooker again Lawrence Butler in extensions. Reports of a possible lawsuit from the MLB Players Association if the club did not increase its CBT number may have spurred some of those moves. This offseason doesn’t have the same considerations for the MLBPA, but the spending may still continue.
“I tell you [payroll] it will be more,” owner John Fisher told Evan Drellich of The Athletic.That’s something we’re still working on internally. At the end of the day, our goal is to put the biggest team on the field we can, and getting paid is an important part of that..”
Fisher took a step toward that promise on Christmas Day, when the club was closed Tyler Soderstrom a seven-year, $86MM extension. The 24-year-old is coming under team control in his age-31 season. With Shea Langeliers they just come in to mediate, too Jacob Wilson again Nick Kurtz still in the pre-intervention phase, the Athletics have their hitting core in place for the foreseeable future.
The Athletics did not reach $50MM in payroll in 2022, per RosterResource. That number rises to $59MM in 2023, and then $63MM in 2024. Last year’s $79MM mark pales in comparison to many other teams across the league, but it continued the franchise’s growth. The Athletics’ cap hit is currently $99MM in 2026.
While not all spending has been successful (Leclerc missed most of the season due to injury, Severino struggled at home), the Athletics put together one of their best seasons of the decade. The team finished 76-86, reaching 70 wins for the first time since 2021. They finished the season 35-29. Kurtz went on to win the AL Rookie of the Year award. The Langeliers put together a great offensive season. Denzel Clarke he was an ESPN Top 10 regular for his career at center field. “It was everything we hoped it would be and more,” Fisher said of the 2025 results.
The current roster builder is only under contract through 2026, but that could change soon. Fisher said the club is in extension talks with general manager David Forst. “I’m very proud of the work he’s done, and how well we’re working together, and we continue to have conversations about the future, and those conversations are ongoing.”
Forst’s previous contract expired at the end of the 2025 campaign. Reports surfaced shortly after the end of the season that he would return in 2026, although details of a new deal were not yet available. Fisher’s comments indicate the sides are working on something beyond next season.
Forst has been with the organization for 25 years. He first joined the board as a scout in 2000. Forst took over as GM in 2022, with CEO Billy Beane taking on an advisory role. He had to navigate extended rebuilding, city changes, and home games at a minor league stadium. Despite the challenges, Forst has a team trending in the right direction. Recent extensions and a general willingness to raise money should give the club a chance to reach the post-season for the first time since the shortened 2020 season.
Photo courtesy of D. Ross Cameron, Magn Images
