The Oakland Athletics have signed shortstop Jacob Wilson to a seven-year, $70 million contract extension, including an eighth-year club option for 2033. The 23-year-old, who finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting last season, becomes the latest young talent locked up by the team ahead of its move to Las Vegas. This deal secures Wilson through 2032 and underscores the A's efforts to build a competitive core.
Jacob Wilson has quickly risen through the ranks since being selected sixth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Grand Canyon University. The son of former Major League shortstop Jack Wilson, he made his debut with the Athletics in 2024, appearing in 28 games just over a year after being drafted. In 2025, his first full season, Wilson batted .311/.355/.444 with 26 doubles, 13 home runs, 63 RBI, 62 runs, five stolen bases, and 3.0 WAR over 125 games, earning a .799 OPS and a spot as the first fan-elected rookie shortstop to start the All-Star Game for the American League.
Wilson finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind teammate Nick Kurtz. The Athletics announced the extension on Friday in 2026, a move confirmed by multiple sources including MLB.com and CBS Sports. The deal buys out Wilson's pre-arbitration and arbitration years, plus two free-agent seasons, providing cost certainty through 2032 with the option for 2033.
This extension follows similar long-term commitments to key position players since 2025: designated hitter Brent Rooker (five years, $60 million), outfielder Lawrence Butler (seven years, $65.5 million), and outfielder Tyler Soderstrom (seven years, $86 million). General manager David Forst has expressed interest in extending Kurtz and catcher Shea Langeliers. The team, which finished 76-86 and fourth in the AL West in 2025 but posted a 35-29 record after the All-Star break, has also acquired second baseman Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets and signed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. this offseason.
Currently playing in a minor-league ballpark in Sacramento after leaving Oakland, the Athletics are rebuilding their roster for a 2028 move to Las Vegas. Wilson, focusing on strength training this offseason, told MLB.com, “It’s definitely been the main focus for the last couple of offseasons now. Being able to grow into my body a little bit more and put on more muscle.” With this core of Wilson, Kurtz, Soderstrom, Rooker, Butler, and Langeliers, the A's aim to return to the postseason for the first time since 2020 and build excitement for their future.
