The Athletics’ rough stretch has pushed Shea Langeliers into the center of the trade conversation, and the possibility of a deal looks a lot more real now than it did a short time ago.
A report recently surfaced that Langeliers may have been offered an $80 million extension, though that report has not been fully confirmed and is still developing. Even so, the rumor alone matters with the deadline approaching, because it changes the way this situation is viewed.
The Athletic’s projected revenue in Las Vegas is part of the backdrop here. In a recent article, it was noted that the club’s inaugural year there could bring in north of $125 million, which would top the last three years of ticket sales combined. Langeliers’ camp is likely aware of that number, and that makes any negotiation harder for the Athletics to manage.
Langeliers also made this year’s All-Star Game, which only strengthens the sense that his price tag is headed well beyond what the Athletics may want to commit to an aging catcher. That isn’t a knock on Langeliers. It’s just the reality of where the situation appears to be headed, and why the better outcome for the A’s might be to turn him into a package of elite prospects.
His agent is Scott Boras, and that matters too. Boras has built a reputation for getting his players paid by not signing contracts during arbitration, so if this report is accurate, it fits the pattern. The source material suggests the talks stalled when the $80 million figure was on the table, and that’s the key detail.
If the offer really was $80 million, the math suggests it may have worked out to something like $13 million over six years, which wouldn’t have been enough. With all the variables considered, Langeliers could be in the $15-20 million range per year, making the gap between the sides even more obvious.
There’s also the possibility that the Athletics tried to stretch that same $80 million across more seasons, especially with superstar Nick Kurtz expected to be extended very soon. If that happened, it could explain why the talks ended so quickly and why Boras and Langeliers might be frustrated with the club.
If that’s the case, a trade could be on the table as soon as next week. It would sting, but the long-term return could be too tempting for a team with plenty of issues to address.
And the Athletics have already started planning for life behind the plate. They selected three catchers in this year’s draft: Alex Sosa (R6), Bear Madliak (R18), and Anthony Marnell IV (R20).
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A's Just Made Another Roster Move That Could Signal More Coming
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Oakland has already been willing to make changes in search of answers, and the latest move adds to that sense of flux. With the pitching staff and bench both in motion, the As are clearly not treating one big win as a reason to stand pat, and there could be more maneuvering ahead as they try to stabilize things around a team that just took a small step forward. [Read more 🡒]