Oakland Athletics: Can Josh Reddick Be Re-Signed?

As of now, Oakland Athletics outfielder Josh Reddick is set to hit free agency after the 2016 season. The two sides have had talks on a new deal, but nothing has come to fruition yet.

If Oakland Athletics outfielder Josh Reddick hits free agency after this season, he’ll likely do well for himself. Reddick has proven over his career that he can be a Gold Glove right fielder and has shown pop in the past, hitting 32 home runs in 2012.

Reddick is the most prominent position player that is set to hit free agency for the A’s, but the team has been open about the desire to keep Reddick in town. Whether the Athletics ultimately offer a deal that Reddick is comfortable with remains to be seen, but as of now there is reportedly a gap in negotiations.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports the A’s will indeed hold contract talks with Reddick’s agent prior to the August 1 trade deadline. According to Rosenthal, the A’s currently prefer a three-year deal, and Reddick would like a four-year deal.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports the A’s most recent offer averages around $10 million per year — a three-year deal in the $30 million range — but it sounds as if a gap of at least $5 million per year exists. Reddick, Slusser reports, is looking for a four-year deal in the neighborhood of a $15 million average annual value.

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A four-year, $60 million deal would average $15 million per year. On the surface, that is a reasonable deal if Reddick were on the open market. However, it’s important to note that the biggest contract the A’s have ever signed a player to (total money-wise) was Eric Chavez‘s six-year deal worth $66 million. Of course, that’s only an AAV of $11 million.

Perhaps the two sides can compromise. A three-year deal averaging $13 million would be worth $39 million. The A’s, in a show of good faith toward Reddick, could add on a fourth-year option that vests if Reddick hits certain requirements.

It could be considered a long shot at this point that anything along those lines actually materializes. The A’s have proven to be very selective about who they sign, and how much money they are willing to spend.

If it becomes apparent that the two sides are so far apart on contract terms that an extension cannot be reached, the A’s could trade Reddick, provided he’s healthy. Reddick is currently on a rehab assignment, working his way back from a fractured thumb. He’s expected to join the A’s this week. If the A’s go into selling mode over the next month, Reddick would likely draw plenty of interest as a rental.

If the A’s keep Reddick through the deadline, he’d likely be given a qualifying offer once the offseason commences. There is some risk in this for the A’s, as players have actually begun to accept the qualifying offer recently, after largely rejecting it previously in favor of long-term security. The irony if Reddick accepted a qualifying offer is the A’s would be on the hook for likely more than $16 million, albeit on a one-year deal.

Next: Still reasons to watch A's in 2016

Reddick played in 41 games this year before fracturing his thumb. He hit .322/.394/.466 over that span, and had a BABIP of .350 and a wRC+ of 131.