During Taylor Smith's introductory press conference as the Athletics new president of baseball operations in Las Vegas on Wednesday, he was asked how he'd assessed the organization from the outside, and he mentioned the pitching staff having some hidden gems to work with, and how the position players get most of the attention for this team.

"Kurtz is obviously a stud," Smith said. "[Tyler] Soderstrom, [Shea] Langeliers. It's a really exciting group." 

Now this may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but if you were to ask someone from the outside for the A's top three offensive performers, those would be the three you'd go after. Kurtz and Langeliers were All-Stars in 2026, and Soderstrom has turned into one of the team's most steady bats over the past three seasons, putting up a 114 wRC+ in 2024, followed by a 120 in 2025 and a 116 in 2026. 

That's not the interesting part. It's that only one of the three players he mentioned (Soderstrom) is signed to an extension. Designated hitter Brent Rooker is signed through 2029 with a vesting option for 2030. Right fielder Lawrence Butler is signed through 2031 with a club option for 2032. Shortstop Jacob Wilson is signed through 2032 with a club option for 2033. 

Smith certainly isn't wrong in what he said, but in hearing how messages are usually communicated from teams around the league, it's common to hear the names of the players already signed to extensions in those spots, instead of the players who could use that quick clip as leverage in a contract negotiation. An agent could point to a team executive's own words as evidence of how key their client is to a club. 

Kurtz and Langeliers are the two big extensions left to figure out for the A's, and Smith's hiring could have an impact on those pursuits. With the lockout looming on December 1, there figures to be a mad dash for free agents to sign before the sport shuts down. What if the A's went after extensions instead? 

Smith would be a fresh face for the talks, and the organization already has an idea of the ballpark each player is aiming for, so if there is room to make a deal, then perhaps this window after the World Series but before the lockout presents an opportunity.

The thought here is that the rules surrounding payroll may be changed during the labor negotiations, and that uncertainty could spur a deal. The A's would obviously love to sign both players, while the CBA uncertainty could provide cause for Kurtz or Langeliers to take the assurances of a contract extension.

It's all about their own risk assessment entering labor negotiations, and following years in which they each missed time. 

The bigger piece of this could be the new direction of the club with a focus on developing pitching and not spending to routinely acquire it in free agency. That's the path forward for the club, and if that's the case, locking up the key offensive pieces would seem like a top-of-the-list priority for Smith and the front office. 

The pursuit of developing pitching from within would also clear up some of the financials to spend on those extensions, instead of having to set some aside for adding pitching from the free agent market. 

Of course, going down this road, especially in his first month in his new role, would be a huge swing for Smith. It would also set the tone for the club moving forward as they continue to build towards an expected Vegas debut in 2028.