Lawrence Butler’s season line still doesn’t jump off the page, but the Athletics outfielder has started to look like the player the organization thought it was getting.
Back in mid-June, the conversation around Butler was heading in the other direction. His slump had deepened enough that it seemed reasonable to send him to Triple-A.
The A’s didn’t take that route this time. Unlike 2024, when an early skid sent him down before he returned and broke out in the second half, they kept him in the majors and let him sort it out there.
That 2024 surge is what earned Butler his seven-year, $65.5 million extension. After a middling 2025, he’s now making a strong push to justify it.
Over his last 30 games, Butler has gone 111 at-bats and hit .297 with a .933 OPS. He’s added eight homers in that span, including some big ones. On Sunday in the finale against the Seattle Mariners, he delivered a two-run walk-off blast to help knock them out of their playoff push.
LAWRENCE BUTLER!His second homer of the day is a WALK-OFF SHOT! pic.twitter.com/rXmHkKse8B
That kind of production has mattered even more because the Athletics’ lineup has been hammered by injuries. Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom, and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer are among the bats currently out.
With so many regulars missing, Butler has spent plenty of time hitting in the three and four spots in Mark Kotsay’s lineup. He’s taken advantage of the extra responsibility and has become one of the club’s most important hitters during this stretch.
His late-season surge also creates a real conversation for next year’s outfield picture. Butler looks like a lock to be part of it, but the rest of the alignment is far from settled.
Tyler Soderstrom has been excellent when healthy, and that points to left field. Henry Bolte has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball lately and has emerged as a true five-tool player, which suggests center field is his to hold down next season.
Zack Gelof and Lawrence Butler go back-to-back for the @Athletics! pic.twitter.com/5r5Oq1taGS
The depth chart gets murkier from there. Denzel Clarke has already shown he’s one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball, but he still needs to hit by next spring. Carlos Cortes has had trouble defensively, though he has flashed some offensive upside.
As the A’s try to build toward a playoff run next season under a new GM before the move to Las Vegas, the outfield will be one of the biggest decisions on the board. Where Butler fits should be the easy part. Figuring out the rest may help determine who stays, who moves, and who becomes available in the offseason.
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Oakland has also interviewed Mike Rizzo and Billy Owens, adding another layer to a search that mixes outside experience with familiar internal ties. Owens has spent a long time in the organization, while Click and Rizzo both bring previous GM experience, and the club is aiming to settle on its choice before the end of the season. For a team trying to chart a new course, the next hire may say as much about where the As want to go as any move on the field. [Read more 🡒]