From Soderstrom's extension to the Bolte-Clarke dilemma, here's where every A's outfielder stands on the trade market as the deadline approaches.
It's no secret that the A's, like many teams this time of year, are after pitching. Their scenario is slightly different than most other teams, however. For the green and gold, they're looking to add pieces that will help them be competitive for years to come, not just to make a push towards this October specifically.
They also have a wide range of MLB-caliber outfielders that could be made available to help them acquire that type of pitching, and according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, that's what they plan to do.
The one outfielder that you can put most firmly on the "untouchable" list would be Tyler Soderstrom. The 24-year-old is batting .245 with a .346 OBP and 16 home runs after a tough April and has become arguably the most productive player the club has extended thus far.
Given what he means to this club, his production, and the extension, it's just tough to see the A's including him in a deal at this point.
Outfielders with Some Value
The easiest answers to the question of who could be on the move would be Colby Thomas, who plays sparingly these days — mostly against left-handed pitchers — or Carlos Cortes, who plays against right-handers.
Thomas, 25, is batting .202 with a .233 OBP, a 56 wRC+ and a 29.8% strikeout rate overall. Against left-handers he's hitting .232 (.059 against RHP) with a .267 on-base and an 84 wRC+. Even against his stronger side he's below league average and has a roughly league average glove. Any potential trade return for Thomas wouldn't be a huge needle mover.
Cortes, 29, had an insanely hot April where he batted .400 with four home runs. On Saturday night against the Nationals he notched his sixth homer of the season. On the year he's batting .283 with a .360 OBP, a 125 wRC+, while also holding a 9.2% walk rate with a 13.4% strikeout rate. He's also served as a solid pinch-hitter when asked and faces the strong side of a platoon.
That said, his defense hasn't been great in the outfield, which would limit the options an acquiring team has to use him. The A's could likely get a decent arm, but may skew towards a bullpen piece to maximize the level of the return. He doesn't hit arbitration until the 2029 season and is under team control through 2031.
Lawrence Butler has been a hot topic of conversation amongst the fan base all season, with the 26-year-old still batting just .194, 90 games into his season. He holds a 65 wRC+ and is tied as the worst outfielder in baseball with -8 outs above average.
His value comes in his being a change-of-scenery candidate with upside. The downside here is that he also has an extension attached to him that is set to pay him increasingly more money over the next five seasons, topping out at $16.4 million in 2031.
The total remaining contract beginning next year will be five years and around $55 million. It's enough to limit the type of return the A's could expect.
Outfielders with Most Return Value
That leaves both Henry Bolte and Denzel Clarke as the two outfielders with the most trade value, but the A's decision here wouldn't be as simple as just picking one and trading the other.
Both are center fielders, and only one of them will receive consistent playing time, so moving one of them does make some sense. We also saw Henry Bolte struggle defensively in center on Friday night, losing a ball off the bat and throwing his hands up, then misplaying a grounder up the middle that kicked off his glove a few pitches later.
The 22-year-old has the potential to be a Jose Canseco-esque type of offensive force with some solid defense, but he's a work in progress. Heading into Sunday's game, he's batting .261 with a .341 OBP and a 96 wRC+, with his 100th percentile speed accounting for a number of infield singles.
He can hit the ball hard, nearly averaging a 90-mph exit velocity, but his biggest flaw is that his launch angle is just 0.1 degrees. In order to tap into his power potential, his launch angle needs to sit closer to 15-20 degrees. If he can get that to click, he could be a superstar.
With Clarke, his calling card is his defense, as he's arguably the best defensive center fielder in baseball, when healthy. Keeping him on the field has been one problem. The other has been his bat. Since debuting in May of 2025, he has played in a total of 69 games and has a strikeout rate of 38.8%. He's hit just .214 in that time.
The other downside is that he's currently on the IL, though he could be nearing a return fairly soon.
Clarke's defense provides him a good floor as a player, and if a team believes that they can fine-tune his bat, then he would be a franchise-changing addition to their roster. Given his injury history and the fact that he's a few years older, it would make sense if the A's wanted to hold onto Bolte while shopping Clarke.
The type of young, controllable starter the A's could use may be easier to find by dangling Bolte because of his tools, but Clarke is under team control through 2031, which makes him a valuable trade piece in his own right.
Trading an outfielder for pitching is the A's most straightforward path to acquire their biggest need. Regardless of whether the team is in the hunt for October or falls out of things in the coming weeks, making a move for controllable pitching is a deal they have to get done at this year's deadline.
