• Loading stock data...
Thursday, June 26, 2025

A’s Expect Payroll to Increase, but Face Tough Sell in Sacramento

  • The low-spending MLB club looks to boost payroll, but it will be playing at a minor league facility.
  • Sacramento’s extreme heat and the conditions at Sutter Health Park could be obstacles.
D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The A’s are looking to open their wallets—at least somewhat—in their new home market, but will any MLB free agents actually be interested?

Days after the A’s played their final game at the Oakland Coliseum, GM David Forst said the team intends to increase its payroll in 2025, marking a potentially major step after the club ranked last in Major League Baseball this year at $63.4 million. The figure was 26% below the No. 29 team, the Pirates, and solidified the A’s as the league’s lowest-spending team for the second straight year. 

“We do expect our payroll to increase,” Forst said. “We do expect to be active in free agency.”

More than a generation ago, the A’s were a top-spending club and actually led the league in payroll in 1991. But under the current ownership regime led by the embattled and unpopular John Fisher, the club has tightened its spending considerably. A $66 million contract with former third baseman Eric Chavez signed in 2004 remains the largest player deal in franchise history, a figure now just a mere fraction of top MLB player deals that now extend well into nine figures. 

Despite the ambition of the A’s, the 2025 payroll figure will dip before it potentially goes back up, as the team has more than $25 million coming off its books with the expiration of contracts for pending free agents Scott Alexander, Trevor Gott, T.J. McFarland, Ross Stripling, and Alex Wood. The bulk of the A’s roster is made up of younger players still under team control. 

Facility Concerns

Beyond the spending issues—both real and perceived—perhaps the biggest obstacle the A’s will face this offseason will be convincing players to sign up for playing at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, the team’s home for the next three seasons. The A’s will share the facility with the Triple-A River Cats, the top minor-league affiliate of the Giants, and an artificial turf field will likely be used to help deal with that heavy game schedule. 

That field, however, is expected to exacerbate challenging playing conditions in which Sacramento summers routinely reach triple-digit temperatures. Already, the MLB Players Association is in conversation with the league about mitigating those issues where possible. 

“We do have to sell it,” Forst said of attracting free-agent players to play in a minor league facility. “I’d be lying if I told you I knew what the answers were going to be on the other side, once we start that process.”

That said, the A’s were two games above .500 in the final three months of the 2024 season and finished fourth in the AL West, ahead of the struggling Angels

“I do have an outstanding manager [Mark Kotsay] to play for, and we have a really good team, an improving team on the field that I would hope players want to be a part of,” Forst said. “We’re going to have the sell the situation and the ballpark as much as we can.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Amazon NASCAR Ratings Down 17%, but Skew Younger

Prime Video averaged 2.16 million per race during its five-event stretch.

MLB’s Bold Bristol Plan: Inside the Renovation and Potential Records

Work accelerates to convert the massive motorsports venue for baseball.
Jun 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina infielder Jackson Van De Brake (6) and outfielder Carter French (18) celebrate an out during the first inning of the Super Regionals game against Arizona in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Most Power Conference Sports Won’t See Revenue-Sharing Dollars

But there is a silver lining for Olympic sports: more scholarships.

Mavs Reset Takes Shape With Kyrie Locked In, Flagg Incoming

The Mavericks are expected to select Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick.

Featured Today

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field
June 21, 2025

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.
June 15, 2025

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
breaking

Cooper Flagg Goes No. 1 to Dallas, Capping Mavs’ Rapid Rebuild

The expected selection extends a wild turn of events for Dallas. 
exclusive
June 24, 2025

Fever and Bonner Heading for a Breakup? Here’s What We Know

The Fever are exploring options as DeWanna Bonner seeks a fresh start.
June 24, 2025

How the Celtics Cut $500M Roster Bill Nearly By Half in 1..

Boston is now under the second tax apron for next season.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
Mar 11, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) reacts after a three-point basket against the Los Angeles Clippers during the fourth quarter at Smoothie King Center.
June 24, 2025

Wizards Acquire CJ McCollum to Set Up $100M in 2026 Cap Space

About $110 million will come off the Wizards’ books next year.
Jun 20, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; SL Benfica forward Evangelos Pavlidis (14) in action with Auckland City FC defender Christian Gray (4) during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Inter&Co Stadium.
June 23, 2025

Day Jobs, Weekly Stipends: Behind the Club World Cup’s Only Amateur Team

“We’ve never been in this for the financial reward.”
June 22, 2025

Pacers Lose Haliburton in NBA Finals—and Possibly for a Season

Haliburton entered the game with a right calf strain he played Game 6 with.
June 22, 2025

Kevin Durant Traded to Houston in Blockbuster Deal

Houston was one of Durant’s preferred destinations.