Sources: Soderstrom, A's agree to $86M deal

Left fielder Tyler Soderstrom and the Athletics are in agreement on a seven-year contract with a club option for an eighth season, it was announced Monday.

The deal is for $86 million and includes escalators that can max out at $131 million, sources told ESPN, the largest contract in franchise history to one of 2025's breakout players.

Soderstrom, 24, thrived in his first full season with the A's this year, hitting .276/.346/.474 with 25 home runs and 93 RBIs. Between his powerful left-handed swing and above-average defense in left field -- a position he played full time for the first time this season after converting from catcher and first base -- Soderstrom is the latest A's player to sign long term with the franchise as it prepares for its move to Las Vegas.

With designated hitter Brent Rooker and right fielder Lawrence Butler locked up through at least 2030, Soderstrom's deal, negotiated by Paragon Sports, keeps another foundational player with the A's. Should Soderstrom continue progressing into a perennial star, the escalators in the deal offer significant ceiling.

Even so, the $12.3 million annual guarantee is among the 10 highest for players with two-plus years of service. The deal ensures the A's will have Soderstrom for the remainder of his 20s, buying out the final four years before he was due to reach free agency and four free agent years on top of that.

The A's, who will play in a minor league stadium in Sacramento for the second consecutive year, are expected to move to Las Vegas in 2028, and owner John Fisher has prioritized arriving with a competitive core. Last winter, the team's $67 million free agent contract for right-hander Luis Severino broke the franchise record that had been held since 2004. The A's finished 76-86 this year and with improved pitching could become a playoff threat in the American League West.

In addition to Soderstrom, Rooker and Butler, first baseman and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz played like a superstar in his first season and fellow rookie Jacob Wilson was one of just six AL hitters to finish with a batting average above .300. Both are under team control through the end of the 2030 season. Add power-hitting catcher Shea Langeliers, potential Gold Glove center fielder Denzel Clarke and recent trade acquisition Jeff McNeil and the A's have the potential to be among the game's most potent offenses.

Soderstrom will be right in the middle of it. The son of former San Francisco Giants right-hander Steve Soderstrom and a first-round pick in 2020, Soderstrom shot through the minor leagues and debuted at 21 with the A's. While the question of Soderstrom's ultimate position was always expected to be between catcher and first base, his combination of athleticism and instincts prompted a switch to left field, where he more than acquitted himself with strong reads and a dangerous arm.

His bat remains his calling card. Though Kurtz's arrival prompted the move off first for Soderstrom, the A's thought enough of his bat to keep it in the lineup and watch it blossom. Among Soderstrom, Kurtz, Rooker, Langeliers and Wilson, the A's were one of just two teams in baseball with five regulars who had an OPS at least 20% better than league average.

Soderstrom's deal is the second recent one for a player in the two-plus-years service class. Kansas City Royals All-Star third baseman Maikel Garcia agreed to a five-year, $57.5 million extension with a club option for a sixth season. The only outfielders to sign in their two-plus seasons and receive deals larger in annual or total value than Soderstrom's are Fernando Tatis Jr., Mike Trout and Yordan Alvarez.