Soderstrom, Cortes and Butler rank among the worst outfielders in baseball by outs above average, and the slide could shape how the front office approaches the next two weeks.
The next couple of weeks are going to determine the direction the A's front office takes at the trade deadline, and the team needs improvements across the board in order to make that push.
While the A's pitching staff ranks 29th in ERA with a 5.24 ERA and the team's offense — thought to be the club's strength — has been slightly below league over the full campaign with a 99 wRC+, the area that the A's can see the most immediate improvement is with the gloves.
In particular, the A's could use an improvement in the outfield. Tyler Soderstrom, Carlos Cortes and Lawrence Butler have all graded out poorly according to outs above average. Of the 234 outfielders with at least 10 defensive attempts this season, Soderstrom (-5), Cortes (-6) and Butler (-8) rank No. 224, No. 228, and No. 233 at the break.
There have been a number of instances where the outfield defense has been apparent this season, but one of the most recent examples was on Tuesday, July 7 against the Detroit Tigers.
With Joshua Kuroda-Grauer manning second base in his first-ever road game as a big leaguer, he was running for a fly ball in shallow left field with his back to the infield. Butler appeared to call him off, and JKG peeled off, only nobody caught the ball. The misplay didn't show up as an error, but it turned what should have been an inning-ending pop-up into a deciding four-run inning.
Before Zack Gelof's injury, A's manager Mark Kotsay was asked about Gelof's defensive home with Max Muncy optioned to Triple-A. He said that while it would be nice for Gelof to settle in at third base, he still felt there is value with his versatility.
"As athletic as he is, he's one outfielder [who] — in his limited chances — has done a really nice job," Kotsay said the day after the Butler miscue. "That's a good sign. It's also a sign that says that our outfield defense needs to improve amongst the group."
With Soderstrom's return from the IL still needing him to take it easy in the field, Gelof got the start in left that night, and subsequently made the sliding catch that led to the laceration under his knee when he collided with the small fence in Detroit. Gelof landed on the IL after that play.
Denzel Clarke (+2), Henry Bolte (+1) and Gelof (+1) have been the A's only outfielders to post a positive outs above average. Colby Thomas has a -1 but also made an incredible catch over the right field wall in Sacramento.
Last season the A's outfield defense actually graded out really well, with Clarke putting up a monster +13 in under 50 games played, while Soderstrom (+5) and Butler (+4) made it look like the A's might have one of the best defensive outfields in baseball.
Now they have the worst.
Injuries have played a part, with Soderstrom dealing with a left hip impingement of late, but also hitting his head on the grass while diving for a ball earlier in the year and other bumps along the way.
Butler had offseason knee surgery but was able to make the Opening Day roster. He's lost a little speed year-over-year going from 26.9 feet per second in 2025 to 26.3 this season, taking him from the 35th percentile in sprint speed to the 25th. That slight loss can make a difference when tracking balls down.
Better defense from this club in the next two weeks — particularly in the outfield — would help the pitching staff keep runs off the board. A big defensive play can also spark the bats, as it has done countless times before.
Soderstrom and Butler have shown that they have the defensive ability to be great out there. An update on Clarke's injury status should be available soon, and his potential return could be a huge late-inning defensive boost.
These next couple of weeks need them to show that greatness once more. If they don't, the same issues that led to the A's nine-game losing streak entering the break could resurface.
