The A’s are definitely bumping their 2025 payroll to their highest level in at least many years, and perhaps ever. But there’s more reason to it than just elevated competitive desires or a push to establish themselves in Sacramento.
Just as soon as the 2024 season ended, the A’s made it clear their spending would increase while they play the 2025–2027 seasons at Sutter Health Park. The club then began to make good on that, signing a three-year, $67 million contract with free-agent pitcher Luis Severino, breaking a 21-year-old record for the largest player commitment in team history. Contract extension talks are also underway with rising outfielder Brent Rooker.
The A’s, however, will be receiving their full revenue-sharing allotment next year for the first time in many years, the result of the club solidifying its deal to build a new stadium in Las Vegas. That figure is projected to be at least $70 million, and MLB’s labor deal with the MLB Players Association generally requires that revenue-sharing recipients have a payroll of at least 150% of what they receive in assistance to promote efforts “to improve performance on the field.”
Payrolls of less than 150% of revenue-sharing receipts shift the burden of proof from the union to the team in a potential MLBPA grievance filing for not adhering to agreement guidelines.
If the club gets to a $105 million payroll for 2025, roughly reaching that 150% level, that would set a new franchise record—surpassing its nearly $99 million outlay in 2019.
The Athletic reported that the A’s are well aware of the obligations in the labor deal.
The team already has about $74 million in salary and benefits commitments for next season, nearly equal to its 2024 total outlay and well before other offseason decision-making and arbitration proceedings, but showing that there is still work to do to reach that 150% threshold.
MLB’s free-agent market thus far has been more active than it has been in years, highlighted by the record-setting $765 million deal between the Mets and Juan Soto. But players beyond Severino will need to be convinced of the merits of playing in potentially extreme Sacramento heat next summer and more difficult playing conditions there competing in a minor league ballpark.
“We wanted to make something of a statement coming into a new city and coming into a new ballpark,” said A’s GM David Forst after the Severino signing.
Ticket Issues
The A’s, meanwhile, have started season-ticket sales at Sutter Health Park for the 2025 season. Capacity will be limited given the ballpark’s roughly 14,000-seat size, though it won’t be MLB’s smallest next year with the Rays playing next season’s home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Standard tickets for the A’s will range from $39 to $170 each per game, and purchasing will be limited to fans living within a 180-mile radius of the stadium.
Priority is also being given to fans who were either 2024 season-ticket holders with the A’s in Oakland, or of the Sacramento River Cats, the Giants’ top minor league affiliate and the other major tenant at Sutter Health Park. Single-game ticket sales are expected to begin in January.
