Tyler Soderstrom (Probably) Isn't Going Anywhere

The A's have bats and could use some pitching. This has led to some discussions on the internet that think A's left fielder Tyler Soderstrom could be an underrated trade target for their favorite team. The logic makes sense, and is the same thought process we followed during the summer: The A's have a number of outfielders already, so why not trade the one that is technically out of position?

Well, at the end of the season Soderstrom had turned himself into a Gold Glove finalist in left field, all while also having a breakout season at the plate. The 23-year-old ended up hitting .276 with a .346 OBP, 25 home runs, 75 runs scored, and a team-high 93 RBI. He finished with 3.4 fWAR and a 125 wRC+, which is in line with Cody Bellinger and Trea Turner offensively.

Obviously he would be a terrific trade target to go after. The thing is, the A's now how good he is too, and wouldn't let him go cheaply.

Before the trade deadline, A's GM David Forst was on A's Cast talking about the team's plans for the deadline, and mentioned that they wouldn't be digging into the position player core. This led us to try and parse his words a bit, speculating that who is considered a core piece could be different between fan's view of the roster, and the opinions the front office holds.

So we asked A's manager Mark Kotsay what makes someone a core player on this team, and he mentioned playing every day, contributing to the club offensively and defensively and someone that is just a solid contributor. He then mentioned Soderstrom by name as a core piece of this club.