A’s Receiving Trade Interest In Their Major League Outfielders
The Athletics’ outfield depth has drawn the attention of trade suitors, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Morosi notes that rival clubs have asked about the outfielders currently on the active roster, with the idea of obtaining one of the A’s outfielders in exchange for pitching.
Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler each signed contract extensions within the last 18 months, putting the two under long-term control through at least the 2032 season. It can be presumed that both are off the table in terms of trade talks, even if the A’s might have a bit of buyer’s remorse on the Butler extension given how his numbers have tailed off since signing that deal in March 2025. By that same metric, however, other teams aren’t likely to have much interest in Butler given his declined production and the roughly $59MM still owed on his contract.
Denzel Clarke is on the 60-day injured list and hasn’t played since April due to hamstring injuries, but he is expected to be back at some point in August. That probably rules the defensive standout out of trade discussions, unless Clarke (who is only in his second MLB season) was perhaps dealt for a young pitcher who is similarly new to the Show. Such a hypothetical deal would probably be more about the future for both teams rather than something that would help the trade partner win now, but a healthy Clarke would provide a major defensive upgrade for just about any club in center field.
Like Clarke, all three of Carlos Cortes, Henry Bolte, and Colby Thomas have less than a year’s experience in the majors. Thomas hasn’t hit much during his brief time in the Show, but Cortes and Bolte would be more interesting adds for a contender looking for immediate deadline help.
Cortes has hit .291/.349/.477 with 11 home runs over 338 plate appearances since making his MLB debut last year. This translates to a 127 wRC+, and Cortes’ strikeout and walk rates have improved from 2025 to 2026, even if he is hitting with less power this season. He is an average corner outfielder with a good enough arm to handle right field, and Cortes has actually posted better career numbers away from Sutter Health Park than he has at his hitter-friendly home ballpark. The A’s have used Cortes almost exclusively against right-handed pitching, but he has hit southpaws pretty well during his minor league career.
That minor league career consists of parts of seven seasons in the Mets’ and Athletics’ farm system, as well as a stint in the Australian Baseball League in 2020. Cortes turned 29 last month, so while he is arb-controlled through 2032, the A’s may not view him as a long-term asset. Another team in need of a bat might well have a different view and more room in their outfield picture for Cortes, so the A’s could be open to a move if some desperately-needed pitching help can be found.
Bolte has more offensive upside than Clarke, so the A’s may view him as their center fielder of the future for now. Since finding a solid center field glove is a lot trickier than a corner outfielder, the A’s aren’t likely to move Bolte for anything less than a premium young arm in return. Bolte has hit a respectable .264/.343/.352 in his first 208 PA in the majors, while stealing 11 bases.
It should be noted that Zack Gelof and Jeff McNeil have gotten some time in the A’s outfield this season, and McNeil of course has plenty of outfield experience from his time with the Mets. Gelof is pretty unlikely to be dealt, both since he’s been enjoying a bounce-back season and because he is currently on the 10-day IL. McNeil has struggled badly all year and would be a salary dump if he is traded at all.
Athletics Recall Carlos Cortes For MLB Debut
The Athletics announced today that both outfielder Denzel Clarke and infielder Max Muncy have been placed on the 10-day injured list. Outfielders Colby Thomas and Carlos Cortes were recalled as the corresponding moves. No information was provided about the injuries or expected absences. According to the team’s MLB.com transaction tracker, Clarke has a right adductor strain and Muncy a right hand fracture.
Cortes, 28, gets the call to the majors for the first time and will be making his major league debut as soon as he’s put into a game. Just last week, the A’s selected his contract to the 40-man but immediately optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas. That suggested Cortes likely had an opt-out in his deal, which prompted the A’s to give him a roster spot. They didn’t immediately have a big league opportunity for him but didn’t want him to get away.
It’s been a long road for Cortes, who was drafted by the Mets back in 2018. He climbed to Triple-A with that club but didn’t hit much at that level. At the end of the 2024 season, he still didn’t have a roster spot with the Mets and qualified for minor league free agency.
He then landed a minor league deal with the A’s, which has turned into a huge win for everyone. In 71 Triple-A contests, he has stepped to the plate 314 times. He has hit 17 home runs. His 13.1% walk rate and 14.6% strikeout rate are both strong figures. The Aviators play in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but Cortes’s offense is still 39% above league average, according to wRC+. Understandably, the A’s didn’t want a guy with that kind of production to slip through their fingers.
Cortes has a bit of infield experience and some time in center field, but he’s only been a corner outfield guy in recent years. Some websites list him as a switch-thrower, though that’s not really relevant anymore. He naturally throws left-handed but would throw from the right side when playing second base several years ago. He hasn’t been at the keystone since 2019.
Lawrence Butler played center field last night due to Clarke’s injury and he’s back in there tonight, so perhaps he’ll stay there for a while. If so, that would leave two corner spots for Tyler Soderstrom, Miguel Andujar, Thomas and Cortes, with designated hitter Brent Rooker chipping in on occasion. Andujar is an impending free agent and could be moved before the month is over. Soderstrom would be a more surprising trade but he has been in a few rumors. Even if just Andujar is moved, that would further open the path for Cortes to get some major league hacks down the stretch.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
A’s Select Carlos Cortes
The A’s have selected the contract of outfielder Carlos Cortes from Triple-A Las Vegas and immediately optioned him back to Vegas, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. He’s now on the 40-man roster but is not yet getting a call to the major leagues for his debut. Right-hander Grant Holman was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Cortes, 28, was a 2018 third-rounder with the Mets. He became a minor league free agent following the 2024 season and signed a minor league contract with the A’s back in November. The unusual nature of today’s addition to the 40-man roster and immediate option back to Triple-A suggests that Cortes may have had an opt-out in his contract.
The Athletics’ signing of Cortes has worked out well so far. He’s turned in a terrific .321/.418/.603 slash (140 wRC+) in 299 plate appearances thus far in Triple-A. Cortes’ 16 home runs tie a career-high, and his 13.7% strikeout rate is an even match with his career-low 13.7% strikeout rate. He’s been on a tear of late, including a Pacific Coast League Player of the Week nod in late June (on the heels of a week in which he recorded back-to-back four-hit games). Over his past 30 games, Cortes boasts a ridiculous .403/.500/.773 batting line.
That huge production and his selection to the 40-man roster now has Cortes on the cusp of a potential big league debut. He’s played the outfield corners exclusively this season. The A’s are generally set there for the time being, with Lawrence Butler in right and Tyler Soderstrom handling left field on most days. Cortes could eventually emerge as a bench option, particularly if the A’s wind up trading veteran bench players Gio Urshela and/or Miguel Andujar before this month’s deadline.
Holman, 25, was placed on the 15-day IL in mid-June due to tendinitis in his rotator cuff. He’s pitched 23 2/3 innings for the A’s this season and yielded a 5.09 ERA with a 16.5% strikeout rate, an 8.7% walk rate and a 43.4% ground-ball rate. He’s tossed a total of 38 2/3 MLB frames dating back to last year’s debut and has a 4.66 ERA in that time. Holman posted a dazzling 0.55 ERA in 48 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last season and has fired 9 1/3 shutout innings in Triple-A this year. The move to the 60-day IL doesn’t reset his timetable; he’s already been out close to a month and will now be eligible to return on Aug. 18.