One easily overlooked yet intriguing storyline from Major League Baseball's offseason concerns the Athletics. They're in the midst of their first winter since leaving Oakland, a multi-year process that will see them spend a few seasons in Sacramento before settling into a new ballpark in Las Vegas ahead of Opening Day 2028, and yet that hasn't stopped them from making some bold proclamations about the near future.
To wit, the A's reportedly intend to increase payroll this winter to a franchise-record $100 million, according to USA Today. Reaching that threshold will require a herculean effort. The A's are starting from the bottom, with their current payroll projection just clearing the $30 million mark, per Cot's Contracts' estimate. What's more is they're unlikely to be viewed in a favorable light by most free agents, given that the team will take up residence in a minor-league ballpark for at least the next few years.
As such, the A's have two realistic pathways toward increasing their payroll by leaps and bounds: 1) significantly overpaying veterans (think of it as a Sin City Tax) and/or 2) trading for players who don't have a say in their employer. The first route is self-evident; the second is, in our minds, far more interesting. From a strategic perspective, the A's could become MLB's unwanted contract repository, taking on budget burdens while requesting a sweetener in the form of minor-league prospects.
Whether or not the A's seize the opportunity at hand is to be seen. We here at CBS Sports wanted to have some fun with the concept by tackling a handful of players who would make sense for the A's to target in their efforts to up their Opening Day payroll figure. Keep in mind that this exercise is purely for entertainment purposes.
Now, onward.
1. Cody Bellinger, OF, Cubs
The Cubs are known to have interest in moving Bellinger. The hangup with most teams is that he's too risky, in terms of both his performance and his pay, since his contract calls for him to make $27.5 million next season and includes a $25 million player option for the 2026 campaign. The Athletics can afford to take that gamble if the Cubs are willing to part with an interesting enough prospect. Besides, the A's could even use Bellinger's old MVP Award win in their promotional material around Sacramento.
2. Jordan Montgomery, LHP, Diamondbacks
Montgomery became an obvious salary dump candidate in October, when Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick publicly described signing Montgomery as a "horrible decision." We're going to assume those two won't swap Christmas cards this month. Nevertheless, Montgomery is slated to make $22.5 million next season, a figure that the Diamondbacks could put to better use elsewhere. The A's, for their part, don't have to sweat it if Montgomery fails to bounce back following an abysmal season. And if he does? He could make for an interesting trade deadline candidate.
3. Steven Matz, LHP, Cardinals
Matz is entering the final season of his four-year pact with the Cardinals that will pay him $12 million, or exactly one million for every appearance he made during the 2024 campaign. That Matz performed poorly when healthy is largely irrelevant. Think of him instead as the new, left-handed version of Ross Stripling. (Stripling, you may recall, was acquired from the Giants last offseason and subsequently made 22 appearances for the A's, amassing a 66 ERA+ along the way.) The one catch here is that the Cardinals may view 2025 as a transitional year, giving them reduced urgency to move bad money.
4. Chris Paddack, RHP, Twins
The Twins are believed to be cash-strapped once again, meaning they'd probably love to shed an unnecessary investment -- be it in the form of Christian Vázquez's $10 million salary or, perhaps more realistically, Paddack's $7.5 million mark. The A's have no real use for Vázquez (though we suppose they could acquire him with the purpose of releasing him right away), making Paddack a more interesting target. He hasn't performed at an above-average level for any real length of time since 2019. It hardly matters. Someone has to take the ball every fifth day for the Athletics. Why not Paddack, provided that his arrival coincides with that of an interesting prospect.
5. A Mariner named Mitch
At the risk of getting Too Cute, we think you can make the case for either designated hitter Mitch Garver or outfielder Mitch Haniger. Both are in their mid-30s, coming off down seasons, and subject to lengthy injury histories. Garver is owed $12.5 million next season with a $1 million buyout on a club option; Haniger, meanwhile, has another $15.5 million left on his own deal. Moving either would free up some funds for Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners to pursue more reliable offensive help ahead of next year.
6. Taylor Rogers, LHP, Giants
Rogers is a solid reliever, having amassed a 111 ERA+ dating back to the 2021 season. He's on this list because the Giants have already signaled that they view his $12 million commitment as a burden when they placed him on waivers last August. Any team could have claimed Rogers, adding him to their bullpen for just the cost of his salary. That no one did suggests other front offices share the opinion that he's an underwater value proposition. The A's shouldn't care about that; what they should care about is finding out how much new top San Francisco executive Buster Posey desires some added financial flexibility.
