Rooker 'thrilled' to remain with A's after Deadline passes

SAN FRANCISCO -- Brent Rooker was unsure how much longer he would be wearing an A’s uniform.

Ahead of Tuesday’s 3 p.m. PT Trade Deadline, Rooker’s name was buzzing as a likely candidate to be moved to a contender in need of offense. His contract status -- under team control through 2027 -- along with what continues to be a career year certainly made Rooker one of the more desirable hitters on the market.

The Deadline came and went, with right-handers Paul Blackburn and Lucas Erceg getting moved in separate deals for a package of prospects. Rooker, however, stayed put, instead continuing what has been a red-hot month for both him and the A’s. The 29-year-old slugger bashed his 26th home run of the season -- a two-run blast off Robbie Ray in the fifth -- and reached base twice in a 5-2 victory over the Giants at Oracle Park that notched Oakland its 15th win of July.

For Rooker, there is a sense of loyalty to the A’s. They’re the club that gave him his first real chance at regular playing time in the big leagues last season -- which led to his first career All-Star selection in 2023 -- after limited opportunities in previous years with the Twins, Royals and Padres. In return, his goal is to see this current rebuilding process through and help lead their turnaround.

“I’m thrilled,” Rooker said of not getting traded. “This is where I want to be. I love the guys in this room. I believe in what we’ve got going on here. I believe in this group moving forward, that we’re not far away from being a pretty good team that can win a lot of games. I’m extremely happy and thrilled to still be here.”

Before Tuesday’s game, general manager David Forst indicated that Rooker was one of several A’s players to receive heavy interest from a number of teams in recent weeks. While no player was necessarily off limits, Forst made it clear that the A’s view Rooker as a player they believe is part of the core that can help them get back into playoff contention beyond this season.

“Ultimately, it made the most sense for him to be part of what we’re doing going forward,” Forst said. “He obviously has taken another step in his game. It’s hard to believe right now that he was not in [Arlington] at the All-Star Game a couple of weeks ago considering what his numbers are and the kind of season that he’s had. Without revealing specific conversation, he was one of the guys that we clearly felt was important to keep here.”

This month has been a snippet of why the A’s feel they might not be too far off from competing for something bigger. Entering Tuesday, they led the Majors in runs scored (143) and home runs (41) while ranking second in team OPS (.840) and slugging percentage (.498) and third in extra-base hits (85) in July. Their +43 run differential was also the best in the Majors over that span.

The recent surge has been keyed by Rooker and Lawrence Butler, who continued his own incredible stretch on Tuesday by launching his 10th homer of July, tied for the second most in the Majors for the month behind Rooker’s 11. The optimism for a brighter future, though, extends to the sustained success from the emergence of others in the lineup such as Miguel Andujar, JJ Bleday, Shea Langeliers, Zack Gelof and Max Schuemann. A’s No. 1 prospect Jacob Wilson, who landed on the injured list shortly after his Major League debut earlier this month, is also a part of that equation.

“I want to play in the playoffs,” Rooker said. “And I want to do it here with these guys that we have. I think we’re not too far off from doing that. I’m excited to continue moving forward, watch this group and watch us get better and better until that’s where we are.”