The Athletics have already shown they’re willing to lock up young talent, and this offseason could bring another round of extension chatter.
Brent Rooker got his long-term deal. So did Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom.
Lawrence Butler followed after only one strong second half in 2024, which tells you plenty about how the organization is thinking. With a new GM in Cam Castro now in place, the A’s may be even more motivated to keep their core together as they head into their years in Las Vegas.
Two names stand out as possible under-the-radar candidates: Henry Bolte and Luis Morales Ginn.
Bolte was one of the biggest breakouts for the A’s in the 2026 season, and the center fielder’s rise came with plenty of attention. He had already been viewed as one of the organization’s better prospects, and his power-speed blend even drew Bobby Witt Jr. comparisons. In 2026, he backed up the hype by stealing 21 bases and hitting .277 in 415 at-bats.
That kind of profile plays. Bolte’s speed gives him a chance to keep piling up stolen bases, and because he gets on base with singles and walks, he could become a real weapon at the top of the lineup. If he keeps turning those trips on base into scoring position, he has a chance to be one of the league’s best leadoff hitters.
The other obvious extension candidate is Ginn, who gave the A’s exactly what they needed on the mound. Pitching remains a weakness for the club, but Ginn emerged as the team’s best starter last season and looked the part of a future ace. That’s a big jump for a pitcher who came into 2026 with little Major League success and not much expectation attached to him.
Ginn wrapped up the season with a 3.71 ERA over 138.1 innings for the Green and Gold. He isn’t eligible for free agency until 2031, but that hasn’t stopped extension speculation from surfacing. If the A’s want to build a rotation that can support a deeper run, keeping Ginn in place would be a strong start.
With Bolte and Ginn in the fold, and with some veteran help around them, the A’s could have the kind of young foundation that makes them dangerous sooner rather than later.
In Other News...
As Fall League Results Are Starting To Shape Next Years Depth
The Arizona Fall League has become a useful measuring stick for the Athletics next wave, and the Mesa Solar Sox roster has given the organization a small but revealing sample. Oakland sent seven players there, including four pitchers, two catchers and one outfielder, giving the front office a chance to see how a mix of prospects handles a short, competitive run against upper-level talent. For a club trying to sort out depth as much as upside, those innings and at-bats can carry more weight than the setting suggests.
Among the group, Breyson Guedez, Davis Diaz and Cole Conn have drawn attention in different ways, while pitchers Kenya Huggins and Tucker Novotny have given the As reasons to keep watching. The abbreviated season has also brought some uneven results, which is part of the point of sending players to Arizona in the first place. The fall league does not settle anything on its own, but it can sharpen the questions Oakland will carry into next year. [Read more 🡒]