The Oakland Athletics and outfielder Tyler Soderstrom agreed to a seven-year, $86 million contract extension. This is the biggest guaranteed deal in the team’s history. The deal has a club option for an eighth year and escalators that could raise the total value to $131 million. This means the 24-year-old will be with the team at least until he turns 31. This extension buys out several years of free agency and is waiting for a physical exam.
Soderstrom hit.276/.346/.474 with 25 home runs, 93 RBIs, a 126 OPS+, and 3.4 fWAR in 158 games in 2025. He went from being a struggling catcher to a power-hitting left fielder. He was in the 86th percentile for hard-hit rate and the 70th for barrel rate. He also won the American League Gold Glove as a finalist with +5 Outs Above Average and 11 outfield assists in a new position. Originally picked 26th overall in 2020 as a catcher from a high school near Turlock, California, he quickly became a key player for the franchise.
Soderstrom joins Brent Rooker ($60 million extension) and Lawrence Butler ($65.5 million deal) as locked-in players for the A’s move to Las Vegas. This fits with GM David Forst’s plan to keep young talent. Along with prospects like Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson, this core strengthens the lineup through 2029, when the team will play in Sacramento before moving to a ballpark in Las Vegas. The move shows that there is hope for contention even though moving is hard.
