Yesterday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke news that the West Sacramento Athletics had signed 24-year old right fielder Lawrence Butler to a 7-year extension worth $65.5 million. On the one hand, it’s hard not to read this as another cynical ploy by that team’s management to create an owner-friendly contract that they can flip for prospects during their 2027 rebuild, but on the other hand, it gives us the chance to consider a similar action for the Giants.
Now, why would the Giants follow in the A’s footsteps? Well, we’ve crossed the Rubicon in terms of a comparison with the A’s being an unfavorable one.