This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos' A's Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

With a young and rising team that improved upon its 2023 record by 17 wins, the A’s enter '25 with big changes in store, as the club is set to move to a new city and ballpark.

The A’s relocation will be a continued conversation throughout the offseason, as they look to build a team that can make a big leap towards returning to playoff contention next year.

Here are five questions they face this offseason:

1. How does the Sacramento move impact roster building?

Over the past decade as general manager of the A’s, David Forst has taken the spacious foul ground and the Bay Area marine layer of the Oakland Coliseum into account when assembling teams each offseason. But with the A’s set to play in West Sacramento at Sutter Health Park from 2025 through at least the '27 season before a planned relocation to a new ballpark in Las Vegas, it remains to be seen what kind of approach Forst takes over the next few months.

While Sutter Health Park is not exactly the pitching paradise the Coliseum was, Forst indicated the park factors his analytics department has studied reveal that the Sacramento ballpark is not exactly a hitter-friendly ballpark, either.

• Looking back at 57 years of A's baseball in Oakland

“We’ve done a lot of work over the last few months trying to do the translation,” Forst said. “It’s not as easy as just sort of, ‘How does it play as a Triple-A ballpark?’ Our initial read is that it’s not quite the hitter’s ballpark that it has the reputation of being, but you don’t really know until you’re there. We don’t know what the surface plays like. … I do think our hitters are going to enjoy it. We’re not an organization that makes mechanical or structural changes to guys based on where they’re playing. … We’re still at the point where we’re just looking for the best players.”

2. How do you sell free agents on Sacramento?

Including fixed seats, lawn and standing room, Sutter Health Park -- also home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats -- holds a capacity of 14,014. Gauging players’ interest in playing their home games at a Minor League stadium, especially potential free-agent targets, is surely something that will come up in Forst’s discussions throughout this offseason.

“I’d be lying if I told you I knew what the answers were going to be on the other side once we start that process,” Forst said. “We do expect to be active in free agency. It’ll take some time to figure out what the interest is in playing there and coming into this situation. I do have an outstanding manager to play for, and we have a really good, improving team on the field that I would hope players want to be a part of.”

3. Who’s on third?

The A’s trotted out several third basemen in 2024 without truly identifying a long-term option at the position. Of those on the Major League roster, it would seem that Darell Hernaiz and Brett Harris have the best chances to win the job out of Spring Training. There is also No. 8 prospect Max Muncy, whose '24 season with Triple-A Las Vegas was derailed by injuries, though he remains highly regarded within the organization. The club is also likely to explore free agency and the trade market for hot-corner help.

“Darell and Brett played there at times this year,” Forst said. “Any of those guys are going to be part of the discussion at third base. I think we’ll also look outside the organization for options, because it is the one place on the field where we probably shuffled through the most players this season.”

4. What’s Mason Miller’s long-term role?

Miller’s transition to the bullpen was an effort by the A’s to keep his special arm healthy, and it was a massive success. The flamethrowing righty set the A's record for saves by a rookie, finishing the year with 28 and earning an All-Star selection in what was his first full big league season. Though Miller came up through the Minors as a starter with frontline potential, his rapid rise as an elite closer with a blazing fastball and a devastating slider could keep him in that role going forward.

5. What about Mark Kotsay’s future?

Despite a second consecutive 100-loss season, the A’s went out of their way last November to exercise their club option on Kotsay’s contract for the 2025 season, praising the manager’s leadership throughout a tough rebuilding process. After Kotsay led a 17-win improvement with a 69-93 record in '24, and in the midst of a seeming upswing, the question now becomes: Could Kotsay be in line for a contract extension?

“That is where it stands right now,” Forst said. “Mark is signed through '25 with us having picked up the option. That is something he and I will discuss going forward and discuss with ownership in the offseason.”