{"id":634616,"date":"2026-03-21T01:59:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T01:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/634616\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T01:59:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T01:59:25","slug":"mlb-contract-news-oakland-athletics-push-massive-130-million-early-extension-for-star-first-base-amid-opening-day-build-up-mlb-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/634616\/","title":{"rendered":"MLB contract news: Oakland Athletics push massive $130 million early extension for star first base amid Opening Day build-up | MLB News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MLBOakland Atheltics Nick Kurtz (Image via Getty) The Oakland Athletics are heading into the 2026 season with a lot of attention on their roster, but the main focus is on Nick Kurtz and his contract situation. The team has already made a strong offer to keep him long term, yet nothing is finalized as Opening Day gets closer.There is still a gap between both sides, and a deal before the season starts looks unlikely. Even so, the situation remains important for a team that is trying to build stability while preparing for its future move to Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

Nick Kurtz\u2019s Rookie Season Set a New Benchmark<\/p>\n

Nick Kurtz made a quick impact after his call-up in late April 2025. He finished the season with a .290\/.383\/.619 line, along with 36 home runs, 86 RBIs, and a 1.002 OPS in 420 at-bats. He also dealt with a hip injury during the season but still produced at a high level.He ranked fifth in the American League in home runs and was named AL Rookie of the Year unanimously. He also won AL Player of the Month in July and earned a full year of service time through the league\u2019s promotion incentive rules.Sacramento\u2019s hitter-friendly setting helped his numbers, but his overall performance stood on its own. His 170 wRC+ confirmed his place as a key piece for the team moving forward.<\/p>\n

Inside Nick Kurtz $130 Million Contract Offer with Oakland Atheltics<\/p>\n

The Oakland Athletics have reportedly offered more than $100 million, with estimates around $130 million. Nick Kurtz is entering his age-23 season and remains under team control through 2030, which gives the team time but also raises the importance of locking him in early.Kurtz has said he is open to an extension, though timing remains the issue. Based on his production, some believe his value could go beyond $150 million.At the same time, there are concerns. His defense at first base is still improving, and his 30.9% strikeout rate is relatively high. Those factors affect how his overall value is viewed compared to players at more demanding positions.<\/p>\n

A\u2019s Rebuild Strategy Driving Early Extensions<\/p>\n

The offer fits into the Oakland Athletics\u2019 larger plan. The team is trying to secure young players early as it builds toward its expected move to Las Vegas in 2028.They have already signed Tyler Soderstrom to a seven-year, $86 million deal and Jacob Wilson to a seven-year, $70 million deal. These moves show a clear effort to keep a young core together.Also read: New York Yankees Aaron Judge shuts down \u2018No Fun\u2019 narrative after team USA\u2019s WBC loss: \u201cWe\u2019re not trying to be somebody else\u201d<\/a>Nick Kurtz is expected to start at first base on Opening Day, with Shea Langeliers, Jeff McNeil, Max Muncy, and Wilson around him in the lineup. The team\u2019s offseason additions focused more on pitching, including Aaron Civale and bullpen help, rather than changing the core lineup.\"Banner<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Oakland Atheltics Nick Kurtz (Image via Getty) The Oakland Athletics are heading into the 2026 season with a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":634617,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2391],"tags":[81329,537,5,4,3226,81327,81325,81328,81326],"class_list":["post-634616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-athletics","tag-130-million-contract-offer","tag-athletics","tag-baseball","tag-mlb","tag-mlb-athletics","tag-mlb-contract-news","tag-nick-kurtz-contract-extension","tag-nick-kurtz-rookie-of-the-year","tag-oakland-athletics-2026-season"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116264696571705450","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=634616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634616\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/634617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=634616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=634616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=634616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}