Why Athletics' Catching Situation Could Get Interesting in 2027

Although the A's offense has been solid without its stars, it has still been performing well. Jeff McNeil moved to first to replace Nick Kurtz and has been on fire.

Jonah Heim has stepped in at catcher during Langeliers' injury, and he has not been so strong for the A's recently.

A's Lacking Catcher Production Without Langeliers

The catcher position was one of the A's strongest suites earlier this summer when they acquired Jonah Heim. Heim became one of the team's most clutch hitters and actually earned some DH time when Langeliers was healthy.

When Langeliers was presumed to be out for the season, Heim would have to step into the everyday catching role, and it played out fine for a while.

However, the A's haven't gotten any production from Heim or Brian Serven recently. Serven is two for his last 20, and is batting .180 over his last 49 at-bats. Even Serven had a few really big home runs upon his call-up, but he has been a non-factor recently.

As far as Heim goes, he's dropped switch-hitting, and it still hasn't been great for him. He is 2 for his last 25 and .182 in his last 55 at-bats. It's been rough from these backstops, which could signal a chance next season.

The Whole Catching Room Could Look Different Next Season

Since Heim is an impending free agent, the A's will likely look to free agency to add a backup catcher to their squad.

However, even Langeliers could be gone in the offseason. There's uncertainty about whether he would stay with the A's long-term, as they would likely lose him in free agency after the 2028 season. Since Scott Boras represents him, it's very unlikely that he'd even consider an extension.

Langeliers drew trade buzz before this summer's trade deadline, but he was never dealt. We hardly see star catchers get dealt at the deadline because adjusting to a new pitching staff mid-season is very difficult, especially when every game is crucial for contending teams.

Teams could offer the A's a haul for Langeliers in the offseason to bolster their catcher position heading into the 2027 season, which could mean a whole new catching group.