A’s ink star Lawrence Butler to massive $66.5 million extension

The Sacramento-bound A’s locked up another one of their young stars. 

Lawrence Butler signed a seven-year, $65.5 million extension that includes a club option on the final season,The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.

The contract — the third-largest in team history — can max out at $87.5 million, Heyman reported.

The 24-year-old outfielder had a breakout season in 2024, hitting .262/.317/.490 with 22 home runs and 18 stolen bases. 

After struggling early on and a brief demotion to the minors, Butler hit .291/.330/.565 with 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases from mid-June on, powering the A’s to a surprisingly solid second half.

From June 18 — the date Butler was recalled — through the end of the season, the A’s went 43-45. 

Overall, the A’s improved by 19 wins, going 69-93, after a historically bad 50-112 season in 2023. 

Athletics' Lawrence Butler rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning of a spring training baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Mesa, Ariz.
Athletics’ Lawrence Butler rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning of a spring training baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Mesa, Ariz. AP

The signing comes two months after the A’s gave outfielder Brent Rooker a five-year, $60 million contract extension. 

Earlier this offseason, the A’s reached an agreement with starting pitcher Luis Severino on a three-year contract worth $67 million, the largest free agency deal in franchise history. 

Lawrence Butler #4 of the Oakland Athletics exits the field of play in a game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 13, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.
Lawrence Butler of the Oakland Athletics exits the field of play in a game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 13, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. Getty Images

For years, the A’s have been one of the lowest-spending teams in the sport. 

In 2024, they had an MLB-low of $66.5 million in total payroll. 

Later this month, Butler and the A’s will kick off the first of at least three seasons in Sacramento — the franchise’s first outside of Oakland since the 1968 season. 

The A’s have plans to move the franchise to Las Vegas in 2028.

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