Will Tyler Soderstrom Become Trade Bait?

Earlier this morning, we talked about the importance of not overreacting to a small sample size when it came to how Sutter Health Park played against the Chicago Cubs. Now, we're going to have some big reactions to Nick Kurtz's first five games in Triple-A.

Kurtz, the A's No.2 prospect until Jacob Wilson graduates in the coming days, has started the season with the Las Vegas Aviators by going 10-for-21 with two doubles, three home runs, two walks and five strikeouts. He's batting .476 with a .522 on-base.

Obviously there is a lot more season left to go, but if he keeps this up much longer, the A's are going to have to bring him up to Sacramento, because the minor leagues just aren't challenging enough. He's hit similarly everywhere the A's have played him thus far.

Last year they did the same thing with Wilson, who continued to hit at close to a .400 clip without running into much trouble, so the A's promoted him.

Coming into the year, the timetable for Kurtz's debut was likely closer to midseason, being that the Athletics have promoted top prospects for the first game out of the All-Star break the past two seasons.

That timeline may be moved up if this continues, and moved up to the beginning of May. When Kurtz comes up, he's going to get playing time every day, or else they wouldn't bother, and being that he's a first baseman, that will create a bit of a problem with the roster.

The big issue the A's would run into is what they would end up doing with Tyler Soderstrom. While he was drafted as a catcher, he's settled into his role at first base, and Shea Langeliers is cemented behind the plate.

He could serve as the A's backup catcher, getting into a game or possibly two a week, but that wouldn't be enough playing time for the former first rounder. Keep in mind, he is one of the A's best hitters in the early going, leading the team in OPS (.988), while being tied for the lead in home runs with Brent Rooker (3), and second in batting average (.296) and OBP (.321) to Jacob Wilson.

He's a big part of the offense right now.

So how will the A's fit both Kurtz and Soderstrom on the roster? Both are lefties, both have power, and both play the same position.

The most likely scenario, at least as a short-term fix, would be to have Soderstrom worked into the left field platoon mix. Now, that could mean a couple of different things. One would be to have him play left field against right-handers, a role currently occupied by Seth Brown, who may end up being the odd-man out in this scenario.

The other way that could work is that Brent Rooker could play left field, while Soderstrom serves as the team's DH. Again, Soderstrom could also get in the squat a game or two a week, which could be helpful for Langeliers in the Sacramento heat.

Shea has played 135 and 137 games the past two seasons, but with temperatures expected to be quite a bit hotter in the summer, that kind of workload could become more difficult.

That is the short-term solution.

Long-term, there is no answer. That was part of our reasoning for our bold prediction before the season that the A's would acquire a big-name starting pitcher during the year, and could even use one of (or both) Soderstrom and Zack Gelof to get said pitcher. The roster crunch is coming, and the A's may choose to move a bat or two to help an area of need.

The rationale is there. Soderstrom is a former first-round pick, so he's obviously talented, and he's beginning to come into his own at the big-league level. He would certainly be in demand on the trade block, and given the A's first series in Sacramento, they may need to rethink what kinds of pitchers they're after.

By the time Kurtz is ready for his debut, the A's front office will have more data on their new home ballpark, and can target a specific type of hurler that they feel can have success in that park.

Perhaps someone like Jared Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who is also 23 years old, and has similar service time could be a fit. He's also shut down currently with a sprained UCL, so that could make Jones specifically not work out due to injury concerns.

One interesting potential fit would be the San Francisco Giants. Not only would he be going to play for a manager that knows him a little bit, Bob Melvin, but the A's would have some data on how the pitcher they're after has fared at their home ballpark, Sutter Health, since the team is sharing the facility with the Giants' Triple-A affiliate.

Of course, an injury could create a spot on the roster for both Soderstrom and Kurtz to open up the roster to both of them in the short term, but heading into 2026, it's tough to see them both still on the roster.