The trade deadline is closing in fast, and that always brings the same kind of pressure: contenders hunting for upgrades, and non-contenders deciding what they’re willing to move. For the Athletics, that conversation has already started.
They’ve slipped farther and farther back in the AL West, and that has opened the door to the possibility of selling off talent for help down the road. The A’s already made one move, sending veteran starter Aaron Civale away after he was designated for assignment during the All-Star break and bringing back a minor league arm in return.
That was a modest deal, but it may not be the last time their name comes up this summer.
The bigger question is whether they’d really entertain moving Shea Langeliers. The All-Star catcher is exactly the kind of player contenders love to chase, because elite catchers are hard to find and even harder to replace. Langeliers has 23 home runs and an OPS of .830, and he has been one of the most productive offensive catchers in baseball.
He’s not just a bat, either. Langeliers is difficult to run on, sitting in the 89th percentile for catching runners stealing and the 91st percentile for pop time.
He also brings speed, with an 81st percentile mark there, which makes him one of the fastest catchers in the game. That kind of all-around profile is rare.
A player like that would bring back a major haul, possibly the kind of return the A’s got in the Mason Miller trade from last season. And because Langeliers is under team control through the 2028 season, his value only climbs. A contender wouldn’t just be renting him for a stretch run; they’d be getting several seasons of control.
Not long ago, the A’s were sitting alone atop the AL West, and the expectation was that they might add pitching and push for the division. That picture has changed quickly. After a rough stretch, they’ve fallen well back, and now the more likely path looks like selling and trying to position themselves for next season.
Still, moving Langeliers would come with real consequences. The A’s already have pitching problems, and if they dealt their star catcher, they’d be sending out one of the key pieces helping those young arms settle in. Without that kind of presence behind the plate, the transition for young pitchers could get even tougher.
If Langeliers were moved, Jonah Heim would likely handle the rest of this season. That would work in the short term, but Heim is set to hit free agency after the year, and if he keeps producing, he could land a strong deal elsewhere.
That leaves a pretty uncomfortable possibility: the A’s could be staring at a catching void next season.
If they want to chase young pitching, the better move may be to use other trade chips instead. Tyler Soderstrom, Carlos Cortes, Tommy White, and Max Muncy are all mentioned as possible options.
In Other News...
Jacob Lopez Gives Athletics Hope In Shutout Win Over Twins
Jacob Lopez kept giving the Athletics a reason to believe, working five scoreless innings in a 2-0 win over the Twins at Target Field. He allowed just one hit while navigating four walks and striking out four, and the As backed him with enough offense in the middle innings to make the early pitching effort count. Tommy White, Lawrence Butler, Donovan Walton, Tyler Soderstrom and Henry Bolte all had a hand in the scoring, helping Oakland turn a tight game into one it could actually finish.
The Twins tried to push back, but the As kept finding the right pitch, the right play and the right defensive answer when the game started to tighten. Oakland scored in the fifth and sixth, then leaned on a mix of pitching changes and timely defense to keep Minnesota off the board, a formula that has been hard to come by at times this season. For a club still looking for signs that its young pieces can hold up in a close game, this was the kind of shutout win that at least offers a little hope. [Read more 🡒]
A's Big International Bet Is Starting To Feel Very Real
Breyson Guedez already looked like one of the Athletics most intriguing international bets when he signed for a $1.5 million bonus during the 2025 period, but the early returns in his stateside debut have only sharpened the interest. The Venezuelan outfielder has settled in with Single-A Stockton and, after a slow start, has begun to show the kind of bat-to-ball ability and impact contact that can make a young prospect stand out quickly in the California League.
Guedezs production since June has put him on the organizations radar in a much bigger way, especially for a club that is trying to build around upside wherever it can find it. The As have seen enough to believe there is real ceiling here, and his rapid rise through the summer has made the next step in his development feel a lot less theoretical than it did a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Just Turned To A Former Ace For Rotation Help
With injuries thinning out the rotation, the Athletics have taken a low-risk look at a familiar name in Dallas Keuchel, who is trying to work his way back into the majors on a minor league contract. For a club that has been scrambling to patch together innings, the move fits the moment: Oakland needs depth, and Keuchel brings the kind of veteran track record that can at least make him worth a closer look.
The timing matters because the As have been hit by setbacks with J.T. Ginn and Luis Severino, leaving the staff even more vulnerable as it tries to stabilize. Keuchels last MLB action came with the Brewers in 2024, and his recent results have trended the wrong way, so this is very much a comeback bid rather than a sure thing. Still, for a team searching for any reliable rotation help it can find, the door is open. [Read more 🡒]