{"id":110617,"date":"2025-12-10T19:42:22","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T00:42:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=110617"},"modified":"2025-12-10T19:42:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T00:42:22","slug":"athletics-2026-offseason-who-joins-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/12\/10\/athletics-2026-offseason-who-joins-free-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"The A\u2019s Offseason: Who They Could Add in Free Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the offseason heats up, the Athletics continue their long-term rebuild, striking a balance between a young, promising core and the need for select veteran additions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Athletics\u00a0are unlikely to chase mega-contracts, but strategic signings in free agency could provide production, leadership, and stability without compromising payroll flexibility. Among the top targets from this year\u2019s free-agent class are Eugenio Su\u00e1rez, Jorge Polanco, and Emilio Pag\u00e1n \u2014 players who combine upside, positional fit, and realistic contract demands.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_105477\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-105477\" style=\"width: 713px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-105477\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26760482_168400885_lowres-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"The return of Eugenio Su\u00e1rez headlined the Mariners' deadline deals.\" width=\"713\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26760482_168400885_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26760482_168400885_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26760482_168400885_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26760482_168400885_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26760482_168400885_lowres-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26760482_168400885_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26760482_168400885_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 713px) 100vw, 713px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-105477\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aug 1, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) singles against the Texas Rangers during the second inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: John Froschauer-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Potential Targets for the Athletics in Free Agency<\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Power at Third<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/suareeu01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eugenio Su\u00e1rez<\/a> remains one of the most appealing corner infield bats available in <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/12\/08\/three-potential-landing-spots-eugenio-suarez-free-agency\/\" target=\"_self\">free agency<\/a>. Now in his early 30s, he continues to offer elite power, having posted 49 home runs and 118 RBIs in 2025. For the A\u2019s, Su\u00e1rez would represent a rare middle-of-the-order threat, capable of anchoring the lineup while complementing the team\u2019s speed and contact-oriented approach. Beyond his on-field production, Su\u00e1rez brings veteran leadership and postseason experience, qualities that are invaluable for a clubhouse filled with young players transitioning to the majors. The Athletics could pursue a two-year deal in the $22 million per season range, which provides short-term impact without limiting future flexibility. A three-year deal at $20 million per season would give slightly more stability while maintaining manageable payroll obligations.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>A Reliable Infielder<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/polanjo01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jorge Polanco<\/a> presents another opportunity for the A&#8217;s to improve their infield depth. A switch-hitter capable of playing multiple positions, Polanco offers both contact and moderate power. In <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/01\/30\/jorge-polanco-signs-mariners-one-year-deal\/\" target=\"_self\">2025<\/a>, he posted a .265\/.326\/.495 slash line with 26 home runs and 78 RBI, demonstrating consistent production while maintaining positional versatility for the Seattle Mariners. For the Athletics, he could rotate between second and third base or serve as a utility option, allowing the team to maximize roster efficiency. A two-year contract in the $12\u201315 million per year range would provide the A\u2019s with cost-controlled production while giving Polanco a chance to re-establish himself as a high-impact everyday player.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Desperate Relief Help\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/paganem01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Emilio Pag\u00e1n<\/a> could address one of their perennial weaknesses: bullpen stability. As a free agent, Pag\u00e1n had a strong 2025 season, posting a 2.88 ERA over nearly 70 innings while converting 32 of 38 save opportunities. Adding him would give the A\u2019s a reliable late-inning presence and experienced arm to guide younger relievers. A one-year deal in the $3\u20135 million range, potentially with performance incentives, would provide a high reward-to-risk ratio. For a team with limited payroll flexibility, acquiring an established bullpen arm without long-term financial commitment is a practical and strategic move.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Last Word<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together, Su\u00e1rez, Polanco, and Pag\u00e1n would allow the Athletics to combine youth with proven veterans in a way that addresses multiple roster needs. Su\u00e1rez provides corner power, Polanco adds versatility and consistent contact, and Pag\u00e1n stabilizes the bullpen. While none of these signings are blockbuster moves on the scale of Luis Severino (at least financially), each represents a realistic, high-value addition that could elevate the team immediately while preserving flexibility for the future.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Mark Kotsay expressed hope that the Athletics can keep their young core intact for the foreseeable future<a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/badKzqCFps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/badKzqCFps<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBCSAthletics\/status\/1998583748913410549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 10, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their 2026 offseason strategy is clear: pursue affordable, high-impact veterans who can complement a young core, provide leadership, and deliver production in areas that have long been weaknesses. If the Athletics could secure one or more of these free agents, they could make a meaningful leap in competitiveness while keeping their rebuild on track.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the offseason heats up, the Athletics continue their long-term rebuild, striking a balance between a young, promising core and the need for select veteran additions. The Athletics\u00a0are unlikely to chase mega-contracts, but strategic signings in free agency could provide production, leadership, and stability without compromising payroll flexibility. Among the top targets from this year\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5710,"featured_media":99881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"505","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,1071,35],"tags":[2307,761,513,988],"class_list":["post-110617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-athletics","category-mlb","category-news","tag-emilio-pagan","tag-eugenio-suarez","tag-jorge-polanco","tag-luis-severino"],"modified_by":"Lewis Masella, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5710"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110617"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110646,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110617\/revisions\/110646"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}