Report: A's ink Soderstrom to 7-year, $86M extension
The Athletics have locked up another piece of their young core, agreeing to a seven-year, $86-million extension with outfielder Tyler Soderstrom, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The contract also includes a club option for 2033, and could max out at $131 million through various escalator clauses, Passan reports. It also delays Soderstrom's eventual free agency by at least three years.
Once completed, Soderstrom's contract will represent the largest guaranteed deal in A's history. The previous record was pitcher Luis Severino's three-year, $67-million deal signed last winter.
The 24-year-old is coming off a breakout 2025 season that saw him hit .276/.346/.474 with 25 homers, 93 RBIs, and eight steals over 158 games. Defensively, Soderstrom recorded 11 outfield assists and had 10 defensive runs saved in left field - a remarkable feat given 2025 was his first season playing the outfield as a professional.
Soderstrom, who originally came up as a catcher, also displayed his versatility by making 49 appearances at first base in 2025.
Soderstrom is now slated to be a central piece of the first Las Vegas Athletics teams once the historic franchise officially moves to Nevada in 2028. The A's are entering the second season of a temporary three-year stint in West Sacramento, California, while their new Las Vegas ballpark is constructed. Before that, the franchise, which originated in Philadelphia, spent 56 seasons in Oakland.
The A's now have two-thirds of their outfield in Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler - who inked a seven-year, $65.5-million extension last March - locked up through 2031. First baseman Nick Kurtz, the 2025 AL Rookie of the Year, and All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson also remain under team control via arbitration through at least 2030, while DH Brent Rooker is signed until 2029.
Other homegrown A's players under club control include starting catcher Shea Langeliers (arbitration-eligible through 2028), second baseman Zack Gelof (2029), plus right-handers Luis Medina (2028) and Mitch Spence (2029).
Soderstrom's extension continues a busy week for the A's, who acquired veteran utility player Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets on Monday. The club also inked reliever Mark Leiter Jr. to a one-year deal earlier this month.
The A's clearly see a pathway to success in 2026 despite going 76-86 during their first season in West Sacramento. The nomadic franchise hasn't finished above .500 since 2021, the year after their most recent playoff appearance. However, Mark Kotsay's club finished 2025 strong, going 35-29 in the second half.