The Athletics are making sure that their home-grown talent sticks around for many years to come. ESPN’s Jeff Passan is reporting that the Athletics and shortstop Jacob Wilson have agreed to a seven-year, $70 million contract. The deal includes club option for the eighth year.
The A’s core now under long-term contracts includes Jacob Wilson, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler — and they’ve got Nick Kurtz, already one of the best hitters in baseball, under contract for another five years. An excellent position-player foundation in place.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 30, 2026
Wilson is coming off a season that saw the 23-year-old finish second to teammate Nick Kurtz in American League Rookie of the Year voting. Wilson batted .311 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs and totalled a .355 on-base percentage across 125 games played. He was named an AL All-Star for the first time in his career.
Wilson missed nearly a month after being placed on the injured list with a fractured left forearm; consequently, the shortstop was out of action from July 25 through Aug. 22. Despite the setback, Wilson has continued to showcase elite bat-to-ball skills during the early portion of his career. For instance, he struck out only 39 times across 486 at-bats last season. Furthermore, the former sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft — who made his Major League Baseball debut in 2024 — showed promise in limited action, appearing in 28 games while posting a .250 average, eight RBIs, and a .314 OBP.
Building A Young Core
The Athletics have put together a strong past couple of off-seasons, locking up key pieces of the offense. Tyler Soderstrom was signed in December to a seven-year $86 million contract. Lawrence Butler was locked up to a seven-year $65.5 million contract last March, and Brent Rooker agreed to a five-year $60 million contract extension last January.
The Athletics finished 2025 with a record of 76-86, fourth place in the AL West. Their win total has improved in each of the past three years under manager Mark Kotsay.
The Athletics’ most recent playoff appearance was in 2020, falling in the ALDS to the Astros. With a contract in Sacramento until potentially 2028, the Athletics are trying to lock up their home-grown talent before the move to Las Vegas in either 2028 or 2029.
(Top Image Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images)