The Athletics' first move of the offseason was to trade for another outfielder, which on the surface is an odd move, but the addition of Nate Eaton on Thursday from the Red Sox will certainly add some speed to the roster, as well as a strong arm, presumably in the outfield. Eaton has also played nearly 300 games at third base in the minors, but played just one inning total at the position in 2026.

The most likely scenario for the A's to use him in would be as a defensive replacement for Lawrence Butler late in games, given that Henry Bolte in center and Tyler Soderstrom in left have graded out as the better defensive players. 

With a bench/defensive role the likely outcome for Eaton, that tells us Taylor Smith is looking to improve the team's defense, even in slight upgrades. Eaton is out of options, which means his addition will also put pressure on Denzel Clarke and Carlos Cortes to even make the roster in 2027.

Eaton is a career .221 hitter with a .294 OBP and a 69 wRC+ (100 is league average). This past season he went 8-for-50 (.160), but also drew eight walks, giving him a .300 OBP. 

By comparison, Clarke, who missed much of the season due to injury, went 12-for-76 (.158) with a .238 OBP and an 11 wRC+. His strikeout rate of 33.3% also tops Eaton's 26.7% from last season, though Clarke is one of the better defenders in the game, when healthy. 

The addition of Eaton is likely meant to accomplish a couple of things. The first is to light a fire under Clarke, who has the talent to be great in this league, but has really struggled at the plate. Injuries and lack of reps have played a part in that lack of development with the bat. 

The second facet here is that having Eaton in the role that Clarke would likely be in if he were on the A's roster will in fact push Clarke down to Las Vegas, but it will also give him the time he needs to work on things with regular playing time. He has two option years remaining, so there is still time for him to figure things out.

"I [want] him to go out and play winter ball to get at-bats," A's manager Mark Kotsay told Athletics Roundtable at the beginning of the offseason. "To have success in winter ball to possibly change my mindset in terms of his role." 

Getting those at-bats may be tough to begin the year, even in the minor leagues, if the expected lockout lasts for months. While the minor-league season will continue on as scheduled, players on the 40-man roster will not be able to participate because they will be barred from going to work. 

Of course, the third option here is that the A's could look to trade Clarke now that Eaton is on the roster. With outfielder Devin Taylor nearing his time in the big leagues, there are only so many outfield spots to go around long term. 

If the A's are looking to improve the team's defense, then Cortes's time with the A's may be drawing to a close. The 29-year-old hit .251 with a .318 OBP and a 93 wRC+ across 381 plate appearances in 2026, but he also finished with -9 outs above average, -9 defensive runs saved, and -8 fielding run value. 

That was all in just 584 ⅓ outfield innings this season. Lawrence Butler also graded out poorly with a -11 OAA, -11 DRS, and a -12 FRV, but his was spread across 1,113 ⅓ innings. That would explain why Eaton could be a late-inning replacement for Butler as well. 

The upshot for Cortes here is that the club has five left-handed hitters on the roster, but he would seemingly be the only one who would be in a bench role. The A's will need a left-handed bat on the bench — the question is whether it will be his. 

If Cortes makes it to opening day, then Devin Taylor, a left-handed bat himself, could be the one who ends up taking that spot over the course of the season. Cortes also has three options remaining, which could help the A's add some depth to the roster, as with the addition of Eaton.