One of the cornerstone pieces to the Athletics franchise, Lawrence Butler signs a historic seven-year contract extension on March 10. (Photo by Anthony Chiu/Cronkite News)
MESA – Sir Isaac Newton created the infamous three laws of motion. According to Athletics fans, there’s a lesser-known fourth law, and he patrols the A’s outfield.
Lawrence Butler, dubbed “The Fourth Law” by fans, inked a seven-year contract extension on March 10. The $65.5 million deal includes a club option for 2032.
Entering the 2024 campaign, he had only 129 major league plate appearances to his name. Now, after a breakout season, he’s a cornerstone piece of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
“We’re Law in,” the Athletics posted on X, announcing the extension.
We’re Law in
We have agreed to terms with outfielder Lawrence Butler on a seven-year contract through the 2031 season with a club option for 2032. pic.twitter.com/JQWvdCoBWX
— Athletics (@Athletics) March 10, 2025
Butler’s contract value is the second highest in the organization behind pitcher Luis Severino’s three-year, $67 million contract. Severino’s deal, signed in December, is the largest guaranteed contract in A’s history, surpassing Eric Chavez’s $66 million extension in 2004.
In a time of major transition for the franchise, moving from Oakland to Sacramento for three seasons before relocating to Las Vegas, the organization is committed to Butler for the foreseeable future.
“It was awesome,” A’s teammate Brent Rooker said of Butler’s breakout season. “It was fun to see him learn and make the adjustments and make the changes he needed to become what he was at the end of last year, which is a truly special player.”
The Laws of Butler
Lawrence Butler, who’s working with Athletics bench coach Darren Bush to improve, credits his breakout season to his offseason program. (Photo by Anthony Chiu/Cronkite News)
Newton’s first law is the law of inertia: An object will not change its motion unless a force acts on it. Butler guarded the outfield consistently for the A’s in 2024, stopping the motion of 251 opposing hits in 955.1 innings while playing right field.
According to Newton’s second law, the acceleration of an object is dependent on two variables: the net force acting on an object and the mass of the object.
In 2024, Butler’s bat was often the driving force, launching the unsuspecting five-ounce spheres out of the park for 22 home runs. In total, he had 48 extra-base hits, including 32 in July and August.
Finally, Newton’s third law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Butler’s breakout success at the plate had a direct effect on the Athletics’ offensive output. The second-year outfielder batted in 57 runs and had 3.3 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs.
In Butler’s two best months, July and August, the A’s produced their only winning records at 15-9 and 14-12, respectively.
“I’m always confident,” Butler said. “(It’s) just more hard work paying off, just staying with my offseason program and just translating it to the game.”
Last season, the ultra-confident second-year outfielder finished with .262/.317/.490/.807 splits.
“We knew what kind of talent he had, what kind of ability he had, what kind of tools he had,” Rooker said. “He was able to put all that together.”
Butler is showing no signs of slowing down, either. In Cactus League play, he notched 18 hits in 48 at-bats, slashing .375/.380/.646/1.026. The 24-year-old also hit a pair of home runs and had nine RBI.
When A’s manager Mark Kotsay was asked what he liked about Butler’s spring training play, he answered quickly.
“Everything,” Kotsay said. “We’re going to bubble wrap him as much as we can, keep him healthy. He’s come back with an unbelievable mindset. (There’s) just an energy about him and a desire to improve on what he accomplished last year, and that’s all I needed to see.”
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay praises Lawrence Butler’s impressive performance during spring training at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa. (Photo by Anthony Chiu/Cronkite News)
Butler’s workhorse mentality is apparent and expressive, and his success at such a young age is no accident.
“It’s really just me and the work that me and Darren Bush (A’s bench coach) put in,” Butler said. “I mean, we were grinding all year. Even when I got sent down, we still communicated on what I needed to be doing at the plate. And I got (called) back up and everything just clicked.”
Butler played 27 games with the Las Vegas Aviators last season in Triple-A. The fluidity of 2024 for Butler will only sharpen his play in 2025 while the Athletics relocate to Sutter Health Park in Sacramento.
The A’s home opener is scheduled for Monday against the Chicago Cubs. For the first time since 1968, the franchise won’t open its home slate at the Oakland Coliseum. While it will take time for the baseball world to adjust, change is constant in life, and Butler is prepared.
“It’s like just getting called up through the minor leagues, when you’re playing in different places all the time, going from one city to another city,” Butler explained. “You might get called up anytime, so you’ve got to be ready for the adjustments … I’m just excited.”
