Athletics slugger Brent Rooker was one of the most sought-after candidates on the summer trade market, but the A’s were reluctant to move him then and are similarly unwilling to move him now. General manager David Forst candidly told Jon Heyman of the New York Post at today’s GM Meetings (X link): “We’re going to keep [Rooker].”
Skeptics will crack wise that this only means Rooker is even likelier to be traded, but that’s quite likely not the case. Baseball executives rarely make such definitive declarations about a player’s trade candidacy (or lack thereof) on the record. The overwhelming majority of the time they do so, the player indeed stays put. The most famous recent exception is back in 2022, when Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said in June that he would not trade Juan Soto but then did so the following month; however, even then, Rizzo only did so after Soto rejected a reported 15-year extension offer worth more than $400MM guaranteed.
Teams could still try to pry Rooker away from the A’s, but today’s frank comments from Forst all but rule out the possibility this winter. Perhaps next July or next offseason the club will reconsider, but the A’s control Rooker for an additional three seasons. They’re likely headed to West Sacramento to kick off a new era for A’s baseball, ahead of their planned move to Las Vegas in 2028. It stands to reason that the A’s will want some recognizable talent on the roster as they aim to appeal to fans in their temporary home market, sell merchandise, etc.
Rooker, who turned 30 last week, has gone from waiver fodder to one of the sport’s premier sluggers since landing with the Athletics. The Twins selected him with the 35th overall pick in 2017, gave him his MLB debut in 2020, and ultimately traded him to the Padres alongside Taylor Rogers in the deal that brought Chris Paddack, Emilio Pagan and prospect Brayan Medina back to Minnesota. San Diego only held Rooker for a bit more than three months, giving him just seven big league plate appearances before trading him to the Royals in exchange for backup catcher Cam Gallagher. Kansas City waived him less than three months later.
The A’s placed a claim, and it proved to be perhaps the best waiver claim in recent memory. Rooker, always touted for his plus power but panned for strikeouts and defensive limitations, broke out with a .246/.329/.488 slash and 30 homers in an uneven 2023 campaign. He was brilliant in April, July and September but struggled in the interim months that season.
Rooker’s 2024 campaign, however, left little doubt about the sustainability of his breakout. He was a plus hitter in every month of the season and finished out the year with a superlative .293/.365/.562 batting line and 39 home runs. Only four players — Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Anthony Santander and Juan Soto — hit more home runs than Rooker this past season. By measure of wRC+, he was the seventh-best qualified hitter in MLB, trailing only Judge, Ohtani, Soto, Bobby Witt Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Yordan Alvarez.
Rooker is hitting arbitration for the first time in his career. Because of his limited track record prior to landing with the A’s, he’s projected for a reasonable $5.1MM salary by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. With another season like the one he just enjoyed, that sum could more than double in the 2025-26 offseason. If he can sustain this for two more years, Rooker could well be sporting a salary in the $15-20MM range during his final year of arbitration. Suffice it to say, that opens the door for potential trade scenarios down the road, but it seems that Rooker will stay put for the time being.
The A’s don’t have a single dollar committed to the 2025 payroll. Rooker is one of four arbitration-eligible players, and the others — Seth Brown, Miguel Andujar and Dany Jimenez — are all potential non-tender/trade candidates. Rooker, along with outfielders JJ Bleday and Lawrence Butler, slugging catcher Shea Langeliers and rebound candidate Zack Gelof, comprises a potential lineup core for the A’s next season. With nothing guaranteed on next year’s books, the A’s are likely to add some money via free agency and/or trade in the next few months, as they’ll need to invest in the roster to an extent in order to retain their status as a revenue sharing recipient. It’s a low bar to clear, but the A’s did finish the ’24 season with an approximately $63MM payroll, per RosterResource, so they’ll need to make some additions alongside Rooker, given the dearth of any other meaningful financial commitments on the roster.
Clofreesz
Interesting decision.
mlb fan
We’ll see. A lot of people may not be aware that the A’s were a few games above .500 for the second half of this past season.
I’m interested to see which between the A’s or the Nationals returns to relevance first. Right now the smart money would appear to be on the Nationals.
Johnny Angel
They are a loser franchise. Keeping rooker only confirmed that
Aiden Awe
At some point the A’s have to keep their talent.
DarrenDreifortsContract
Second half records really don’t mean anything when half of the teams have already checked out.
julyn82001
Vegas baby Vegas…
One Bite Hotdog
Poor guy
Butter Biscuits
Nice job Preller
OfficerCarlWinslow
Also A’s GM:
Don’t expect us to sign Juan Soto.
– Carl Winslow
Captainmike1
More proof that most teams don’t know how to evaluate talent
November 17, 2022: Selected off waivers by the Oakland Athletics from the Kansas City Royals.
Talented management is more important than money
ohyeadam
Or maybe they can wait around for it. He’s not going to accept going down to the minors when he can elect free agency and go wherever he wants
LordD99
Clearest indication yet that they’re trading him.
CravenMoorehead
By mid-July they’ll be listening to offers from numerous teams 100%
LordD99
Yes, especially as he puts up big power numbers moving from the Coliseum to a minor league park.
James Midway
Padres traded Rooker for Cam Gallagher (sad face).
ckc12537
Question – will whatever facility the A’s play in for 2025, 2026, and 2027 count in the MLB ballpark app? I’ve been to 31 ballparks and I’m wondering if I need to make plans to visit Sacramento or if I should just not worry about it since it’s just a minor league facility.
Pete'sView
I’ve tried to see every park and some of mine have already been retired but if it wasn’t a stretch to get to Sacramento (not mid summer), I’d do it. Good luck.
609Collectibles
Brent Rooker is an unbelievable hitter, I think they should sell high on him but he’s also the type of reputable player you want to keep around during a rebuild. Would love to see the Phillies go get JJ Bleday though. Or potentially Jake McCarthy from the D’Backs.
Johnny Angel
No no he’s not.
C Yards Jeff
Him and Mason Miller going nowhere. Both productive … and cheap. A’s turning a corner?
larkraxm
Rooker will be a UFA in 2028. If he keeps playing well, his arbitration numbers could get expensive, though. He made $750,000 in 2024, and he will make $3.5 million next year. Still cheap, but you get the point. At some point, it makes sense to trade players that are peaking on a team that isn’t ready to compete.
C Yards Jeff
My gut says A’s could be ready to make a run. They had a nice 2nd half. If he keeps playing well, to your point, he starts to get kind of expensive. But in comparison to what’s out there that produces how he produces, a bargain over the next couple of years leading up to UFA status in 28.
YankeesBleacherCreature
Cheap enough to keep next season until the next prospect haul to open up shop in Vegas.
CFS77
I think it is a mistake on the A’s. Until Las Vegas nothing matters. They are not going to extend him so the smart play is to get younger talent that will be a part of Las Vegas not pettling tickets in Sacramento. Then selling him at lower return value.
Horrible management of a franchise.
Aiden Awe
I slightly disagree, he isn’t a FA til 2028.
paddyo furnichuh
“Skeptics will crack wise that this only means Rooker is even likelier to be traded,”
Steve is well aware of users’ tendencies on comment boards.
phillyballers
Yea… probably not a smart move to keep a 30 yr old journeyman, now mostly just a DH power hitter with only 2 actual decent years.
Especially for a team with zero prospects of competing.
CFS77
I would talk to Jed and offer Miller and Rooker for Shaw, Horton, Caissie and Ballestroes. And I will still try to get 2 lesser known.
Then I am starting them this year so I have low costs in a temp situation. That way they are established in Las Vegas
Fans will go see young players polish in a temp situation. But lowering overhead should be the right call on ownership
CarolinaCubsandKush
For basically the Cubs’ top 4 prospects and a couple more guys? Even lame duck Jed isn’t that desperate.
case
This next step is to give an OF that can’t pitch or play defense an Ohtani sized contract.
hiflew
The problem for guys like Rooker that are basically dependent on power hitting as their main skill is that most of the value is gone with just a slow start to the season. A slow start will make your averages seem much worse than you are for the entire year. It generally depresses trade value at the deadline as well.
The Rockies have always suffered through that with Brendan Rodgers who always hits much better from May on, but can’t hit at all in April. But at least he has his defense to prop him up just a bit.
stevewpants
Anyone up for an over/under bet on if Juan Soto will make more money next season than the entire 26 man roster for the A’s?
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
lol not Oakland athletics or Sacramento athletics slugger just athletics