{"id":113354,"date":"2026-02-03T13:41:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T18:41:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=113354"},"modified":"2026-02-03T13:41:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T18:41:20","slug":"nick-kurtz-extension-what-a-near-generational-deal-could-look-like-for-the-as","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/02\/03\/nick-kurtz-extension-what-a-near-generational-deal-could-look-like-for-the-as\/","title":{"rendered":"Nick Kurtz Extension: What a Near-Generational Deal Could Look Like for the A\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The A\u2019s<\/a> have quietly rewritten their long-term blueprint<\/a>. Instead of allowing elite young talent to drift toward arbitration and eventual free agency, the organization has made it clear: the core is being built to stay<\/a>. If that philosophy continues, Nick Kurtz<\/a> is the most important extension candidate on the board.<\/p>\n

This wouldn\u2019t be an arbitration-year negotiation or a free-agent bidding war.
This would be a pre-arbitration extension, where belief, timing, and structure matter more than raw market value.<\/p>\n

Kurtz already looks like a franchise cornerstone. His combination of advanced plate discipline, left-handed power, and mature approach is rare \u2014 the type of offensive profile that evaluators believe will age well and anchor a lineup for years. The word \u201cgenerational\u201d is used sparingly around baseball, but Kurtz is inching into that conversation based on skill, not hype.<\/p>\n

For the A\u2019s, the challenge is clear: how do you pay a potentially generational player without abandoning financial discipline?<\/p>\n

The Hometown Discount Reality<\/h3>\n
\"Could
Apr 18, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of an Athletics hat during batting practice prior to the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here\u2019s where this gets interesting.
Kurtz would almost certainly be willing to take a hometown discount.<\/p>\n

He understands the opportunity to become the face of the franchise, values early financial security, and knows what stability means in a sport where careers can change overnight. That willingness gives the A\u2019s rare leverage \u2014 the chance to go bigger than a standard extension without crossing into risky territory.<\/p>\n

Why Pre-Arbitration Changes the Math<\/h3>\n

Because Kurtz hasn\u2019t reached arbitration, the A\u2019s hold meaningful leverage. In return, they can offer what young stars value most: guaranteed money and long-term commitment.<\/p>\n

Rather than a conservative deal that simply buys out arbitration years, the A\u2019s could aim higher \u2014 closer to generational territory, but still well below true superstar free-agent pricing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A Fair, Aggressive Framework<\/h3>\n

A realistic pre-arbitration extension could look like this:<\/p>\n

9 years, $115\u2013125 million guaranteed<\/strong>
Maximum value: $160\u2013175+ million with incentives<\/strong><\/p>\n

This structure:<\/p>\n

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    Buys out all pre-arbitration and arbitration seasons<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Secures four to five free-agent years<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Keeps average annual value manageable<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Protects the club while rewarding elite performance<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Sample Breakdown:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    • \n

      Years 1\u20133: $2\u20133M annually<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Years 4\u20136: $7\u201312M annually<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Years 7\u20139: $18\u201322M annually<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Vesting option Year 10: $25M+<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      That places the guaranteed AAV around $12M, a number that fits the A\u2019s model while still signaling full belief in the player.<\/p>\n

      Incentives Close the Gap<\/h3>\n

      Incentives are what elevate this from team-friendly to fair.<\/p>\n

      Possible escalators include:<\/p>\n

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        Plate appearance thresholds<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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        All-Star selections<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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        Silver Slugger awards<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        MVP top-10 finishes<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Team postseason appearances<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        If Kurtz becomes a perennial All-Star or MVP candidate, his earnings naturally climb into the $20M+ range during his prime \u2014 still below open-market value, but reflective of true impact.<\/p>\n

        The Last Word<\/h3>\n

        A pre-arbitration, incentive-heavy extension in the $115\u2013125M range, supported by a hometown discount, is the ideal middle ground for Nick Kurtz and the A\u2019s. It\u2019s bold without being reckless, ambitious without breaking precedent.<\/p>\n

        If the A\u2019s are serious about building around elite talent,
        This is the bet that defines the next era \u2014 and Nick Kurtz is worth it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        The A\u2019s have quietly rewritten their long-term blueprint. Instead of allowing elite young talent to drift toward arbitration and eventual free agency, the organization has made it clear: the core is being built to stay. If that philosophy continues, Nick Kurtz is the most important extension candidate on the board. This wouldn\u2019t be an arbitration-year […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5710,"featured_media":113361,"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":"516","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,2,1071],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-113354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-athletics","category-featured","category-mlb"],"modified_by":"Eddie Lennon, Staff Writer","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113354","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=113354"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113364,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113354\/revisions\/113364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}