The A’s remain open to the possibility of using Tyler Soderstrom as their backup catcher, manager Mark Kotsay tells Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. The former first-round pick got the start behind the dish in yesterday’s Spring Training matchup with Seattle.
“What we talked about with Tyler is continuing to keep that skill set,” Kotsay told Gallegos. “It gives us an opportunity to have a player that provides maybe a role for us that would allow maybe another bench spot.” The A’s will use Shea Langeliers as their starting catcher for the third consecutive season. They would gain some bench flexibility if they’re comfortable with the 23-year-old Soderstrom as Langeliers’ backup. Otherwise, he’d be the primary first baseman.
Soderstrom was drafted as a bat-first catching prospect out of high school in 2020. His bat pushed him quickly through the minor leagues. He’s a .272/.339/.532 hitter in the minors. Soderstrom hasn’t found anywhere near that level of success against big league pitching. He owns a .204/.282/.354 line with a 27.4% strikeout rate over 351 plate appearances.
Most of his big league work has come as a first baseman. Soderstrom has caught a little more than 1200 innings over four minor league seasons. He made 15 starts behind the dish for the A’s during his 2023 rookie season. He got another 21 starts as a catcher in Triple-A last year, but they didn’t give him any MLB starts there.
The youngster’s only MLB catching experience last year was a four-inning appearance in a game in which that day’s starting catcher Kyle McCann was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning. Langeliers was the designated hitter. If the A’s wanted to have him catch after pulling McCann, they’d have forfeited their DH for the rest of the game. Soderstrom, who had started at first base, moved to catcher.
The A’s clearly didn’t feel his glove was up to par last year. They kept McCann on the major league roster as the backup all season. Langeliers started 123 games, second-most at the position behind Cal Raleigh. McCann made the other 39 starts. Soderstrom’s four-inning appearance was the only catching work by any other player.
The A’s already shook that up last month, designating McCann for assignment while acquiring Jhonny Pereda in a cash trade with Miami. Langeliers and Pereda are the only primary catchers on the 40-man roster. That’d very likely be Kotsay’s season-opening duo if they’re still apprehensive about Soderstrom’s glove. If they’re comfortable with Soderstrom behind the plate, he could pick up around 40 starts there while playing first base on days when Langeliers is rested. That’d allow the A’s to option Pereda and carry another infielder or outfielder on the active roster.
McCann cleared waivers and is in camp as a non-roster invitee. The A’s could reselect his contract at any point, but he’s behind Pereda on the depth chart. The 28-year-old Pereda only has 20 games of major league experience. He’s a .293/.385/.408 hitter over four Triple-A seasons and has a stronger defensive reputation than McCann brings.
the A’s are playing a long-term game of perception management, using Soderstrom’s positional ambiguity as a strategic asset in the trade market. They are using the idea of flexibility to create trade value.
The A’s have been playing the platoon game with players that can play multiple positions effectively for a very long time. Nothing suggests it’s about showcasing trade bait.
Why can’t it be both?
@sorrynotsorry
We’ll see. I think he’s being traded this year.
I think that would be a huge mistake.
The A’s are well known in making huge mistakes when trading (or not trading) players.
It would be nice to have Soderstrom as a 3rd catcher on the roster. I would hate to see them overuse Langeliers without giving him time off–the way they ran Kurt Suzuki into the ground after his 3.8 and 3.4 WAR years. He was never the same player after that. Three catchers gives them a lot more flexibility. A LH hitting catcher is something they need.
Tome is ticking with soderstrom at 1b especially if they progress nick Kurtz fast. But soderstrom is still young, good milb stats just hasn’t done it at major level yet.
Don’t like this AT ALL. His bat is going to suffer trying to have multiple positions to manage and learn
He’s still learning 1st and needs to be consistently healthy to get his bat going; catcher is a bad idea
MLB needs to update the DH rule.
How would you suggest they update the DHL rule??
I don’t think “continuing to keep that skill set” translates to #2/backup catcher, at least not for 2025. Maintaining his ability at catcher just gives them more flexibility. For example, Langeliers could DH on days he’s not catching (side note: Rooker won’t be limited to DH this season), and the A’s would have more options in case a pinch-hitting or pinch-running situation arises.
Kurtz appears to be the 1B of the future, and when he’s ready, the A’s could trade Soderstrom or keep him as the #2 C/1B. Some of this is dependent on retaining Langeliers, who is reportedly in extension talks.
I like when Brown was playing 1B after his recall from AAA. Forgot Soderstrom would be coming back from IL.