Athletics sign Sean Doolittle to five-year extension

The Oakland Athletics have signed left-hander Sean Doolittle to a five-year contract extension that includes club options for 2019 and 2020, according to a team announcement. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.

The deal, which keeps Doolittle under team control through his age-34 season, covers two pre-arbitration years and all three arbitration years, and could cover two free agent seasons if the options are picked up. Doolittle only has just over a year of service time in the majors with the Athletics, meaning that they are confident enough in his abilities already to make a long-term commitment.

In 122 relief appearances since breaking into the big leagues in 2012, Doolittle is the owner of a lifetime 7-6 record and 3.10 ERA in 125 innings of work. He is a candidate to be the Athletics' closer in the future, and will surely be a big part of the team's bullpen for many years to come.