The Athletics are in a transition period as a franchise. The 2025 season was just the beginning of that process.
After leaving Oakland, the A’s spent their first season in what was expected to be a temporary home in Sacramento. The A’s surprisingly opened the checkbook by signing pitcher Luis Severino, while signing designated hitter Brent Rooker and outfielder Lawrence Butler to long-term extensions.
Although the A’s want to compete in time for their expected move to Las Vegas, the 2025 season was a success. The A’s were nine games better than in 2024. An exciting, dynamic core has emerged in the lineup. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. Let’s take a look at three areas the A’s can focus on during the 2025-2026 offseason.
Three areas athletics should focus on during the offseason
1. Find a taker for Luis Severino
Buyer’s remorse was evident early in the marriage between Severino and the A’s. Severino almost immediately complained about Sutter Health Park, the A’s temporary home, saying the atmosphere felt like a minor league game. The A’s were reportedly ready to move on from Severino before the 2025 trade deadline, though the right-handed starter remained in Sacramento through the end of the year.
The off-season might be the perfect time to shop for Severino. Although his overall numbers were disappointing, he posted a solid 3.02 ERA and a 1.071 WHiP over 80.1 innings on the road in 2025, during which he struck out 58 batters with 21 walks. The A’s may have to eat some of his salary, but moving Severino away could be a matter of addition by subtraction.
2. Continue to retain their young core
The A’s made some significant investments in their future by signing Rooker and Butler to long-term extensions. First baseman Nick Kurtz and shortstop Jacob Wilson should be next in line.
Kurtz, the runaway favorite for the AL Rookie of the Year, posted a .290/.383/.619 batting line in 489 plate appearances and hit 36 home runs, including the first four-home run game by a rookie in MLB history. Wilson was considered the favorite for Rookie of the Year before landing on the injured list with a broken left forearm. He posted a solid .311/.355/.444 batting line over 523 plate appearances, hitting 13 home runs and 26 doubles. Both players appear to be cornerstones of the franchise; locking them up now makes perfect sense for the A’s.
3. Is their closer already on the roster?
The A’s stunned the baseball world as they approached the trade deadline when they sent Mason Miller to the Padres. The A’s had five different pitchers record a save during the final two months of the season, playing matchups instead of having a set option for the ninth inning.
However, the best option for a closer role moving forward may not be one of the 14 relievers the A’s used in the second half last season. Jack Perkins appeared to be the A’s closer after posting a 2.75 ERA and 0.915 WHiP over 19.2 innings in reliefin which he struckout 19 batters with seven walks. Instead, the A’s inserted Perkins into the rotation because he was a starter in the minors. He made just four mediocre starts before landing on the injured list with a strained right shoulder. Perkins showed he had the potential to be a weapon in the back of the bullpen – it’s just a matter of allowing him to prove he can be the A’s closer.
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