DALLAS -- For an A¡¯s squad featuring a talented young core that appears on the rise and ready to take a big step forward in 2025, Brent Rooker stands out as the perfect player to help lead them into that new era with his combination of elite hitting traits and clubhouse presence.

Despite Rooker still being a couple of years away from hitting free agency as he goes through his first year of salary arbitration, the Athletics view him as a vital piece of the upward trajectory they believe they are on as a club, one that would make sense to lock up for at least the next few years.

Manager Mark Kotsay hinted at the A¡¯s exploring a potential contract extension for Rooker last week. At the start of the 2024 Winter Meetings in Dallas on Monday night, general manager David Forst confirmed those talks have already been broached.

¡°We¡¯ve had conversations,¡± Forst said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to handicap it, because you never know. But I¡¯ve had good dialogue with his agent.¡±

Rooker has often expressed his love and gratitude for the A¡¯s organization. It¡¯s the club that provided the extended look in the big leagues that eluded him in previous stints with the Twins, Royals and Padres. In turn, Rooker parlayed that opportunity by emerging as one of the better hitters in baseball.

Following up a All-Star 2023 campaign in his first season with the A¡¯s, Rooker took his offensive game to another level last season. He hit .293 with a .927 OPS, 39 home runs and 112 RBIs to become the first A¡¯s player to win a Silver Slugger Award since Eric Chavez in 2002, all while dealing with a nagging elbow issue that led to him undergoing elbow surgery after the season.

Rooker -- expected to be fully recovered well before Spring Training -- became the first A¡¯s player to finish a season with a batting average of at least .290, at least 30 home runs and at least 100 RBIs since Miguel Tejada¡¯s 2002 AL MVP campaign. His 164 wRC+ ranked seventh-highest among all Major League hitters, only trailing superstars Aaron Judge (218), Shohei Ohtani (181), Juan Soto (180), Yordan Alvarez (168), Bobby Witt Jr. (168) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (165).

¡°He¡¯s pretty unbelievable,¡± Kotsay said of Rooker after the A¡¯s final game of the season in September. ¡°We don¡¯t talk enough about the perseverance of this kid¡¯s career. As long as it took him to find a home and establish himself as a centerpiece to an offense, it¡¯s pretty remarkable for him to put together two seasons the way he has. I¡¯m looking forward to the future for him here.¡±

What might a potential Rooker deal look like?

Well, the last A¡¯s player to receive a notable contract extension was Khris Davis, and that could serve as somewhat of a comparable model. In April 2019, Davis -- who led the Majors with 133 homers from 2016-18 -- was in his final year of arbitration and set to become a free agent at the end of the season when the A¡¯s reached a two-year extension worth $33.5 million. Davis was 31 at the time of his extension, while Rooker, who is projected to earn $5 million through arbitration this winter, just turned 30 in November.

Why would the A¡¯s do this now?

On track for a relocation to a new ballpark in Las Vegas in 2028 following their temporary stay at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento for the next three seasons, the A¡¯s are looking to build a roster that can generate momentum ahead of that impending move.

It starts with the young group of controllable players already on the roster that helped the A¡¯s improve upon their 2023 win total by 19 games last season such as Lawrence Butler, Mason Miller, Jacob Wilson (ATH No. 1 prospect/MLB No. 24 prospect), Shea Langeliers, Zack Gelof and JJ Bleday. Then comes the other top prospects expected to reach the Majors next season such as first baseman Nick Kurtz (ATH No. 2 prospect/MLB No. 45 prospect) and outfielders Colby Thomas (ATH No. 7 prospect) and Denzel Clarke (No. 10).

The signing of Luis Severino to a two-year, $67 million deal with a player option for 2027 last week to anchor their young rotation was a signal that the A¡¯s are serious about transitioning out of the rebuilding phase and contending for the postseason again. Extending Rooker would provide further proof of their commitment to what they are building.

It doesn¡¯t stop at Rooker and Severino, either. The A¡¯s remain engaged in free-agent and trade conversations in search of upgrades at third base and possibly another veteran starting pitcher.

¡°Coming in off the heels of [the Severino] signing last week, we feel like we have more work to do,¡± Forst said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t necessarily mean anything is going to get done while we¡¯re here, but we¡¯ve had a lot of conversations over the last month. ¡­ We¡¯ll see what the rest results in.¡±