With the trade deadline creeping closer, the Athletics are staring at one of those uncomfortable front-office crossroads. They can try to buy and push back into the race, or they can start turning pieces into help for the next few seasons.
They’ve already made one move in that direction by dealing Aaron Civale. The veteran right-hander was headed toward free agency anyway, and his departure also cleared a spot for Jacob Lopez in the rotation. Lopez was sent to Triple-A earlier in the year after some rough stretches, but he was a dependable starter for the A’s last season and still carries real upside for a pitching staff that needs it.
That’s the bigger theme here: if the A’s decide to cash in more talent, the goal would be to bring back young pitching that can matter now and later. And if they’re serious about chasing that kind of return, they may have to aim higher than moving outfield depth like Carlos Cortes or Colby Thomas. Even Lawrence Butler’s name has been floated, but landing impact arms usually costs more than a spare bat.
That’s where Tyler Soderstrom comes in.
Soderstrom has been one of the A’s best hitters this season, and he’s also on a long-term deal that makes him especially attractive. He gives a club cheap control and production, which is exactly why his market value would be so strong. He’s also not just a bat-only piece; he was a finalist for the Gold Glove award last season and has handled left field well.
One team that fits the profile is Philadelphia. The Phillies have worked their way back into contention after a slow start, and after firing their manager, Don Mattingly has seemingly helped reshape the clubhouse into a contender.
Their rotation is already loaded with Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, Jesus Luzardo, and Aaron Nola, so the obvious need is outfield help. Unless Bryce Harper moves back outside, they need another piece to go with Brandon Marsh and Justin Crawford.
That makes Soderstrom a natural fit on paper.
The Phillies also have a name that could interest Oakland in Andrew Painter. Philadelphia sent Painter down after a rough run of outings, but the talent is still there, and the source material makes clear that his upside remains huge. It also notes that Phillies fans aren’t so fond of him right now, which only adds to the sense that a fresh start could help.
A straight Soderstrom-for-Painter swap could make sense for both sides, but the A’s would probably need more than that to part with a locked-in bat like Soderstrom. One possible add-on is recently promoted Alex McFarlane, who brings an electric fastball and could give Oakland another arm to develop.
Whether the Athletics actually move Soderstrom is still unclear. But if a deal can bring back someone with Painter’s ceiling, it’s the kind of conversation they’d have to take seriously.
In Other News...
Tarik Skubal Trade Talk Just Took A Fascinating Turn
The Phillies have been linked to the kind of high-end rotation upgrade that can reshape a pennant race, and the discussion around it is already getting expensive. According to The Athletics Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal, Philadelphia could be willing to put a controllable young arm and other prospects into a deal as it looks for pitching help, a sign of how aggressively the club may be approaching the market.
Andrew Painters name is part of the conversation because of the value he still carries despite his recent major-league struggles, but any move of this size would come with real risk for the Phillies. The appeal is obvious: they want to bolster the rotation, and the pitcher at the center of the speculation is the kind of arm who changes the ceiling of a staff, even if the cost and the short-term nature of the arrangement make the whole idea a complicated one. [Read more 🡒]
Dombrowski Just Sent Phillies Fans A Surprising Deadline Message
Dave Dombrowski is already looking ahead to a future deadline, and he sounded surprisingly comfortable with where the Phillies stand. The president of baseball operations acknowledged the farm system is not the kind that usually gets praised in glowing terms, but he believes it still has enough talent to help the club make moves when the time comes. For a team that is always trying to balance winning now with keeping the pipeline useful, that matters.
The needs are clear enough: rotation help, bullpen help and another option in the outfield when the 2026 trade deadline arrives. Dombrowskis point was not that the Phillies are overflowing with prospects, but that they have enough pieces to enter those conversations, with names like Gage Wood, Aroon Escobar, Ramon Marquez, Francisco Renteria and Dante Nori potentially in the mix. For Phillies fans, the bigger question is whether that kind of flexibility turns into a real upgrade when the market opens up. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies May Finally Have An Answer To Their Biggest Lineup Problem
The Phillies finally have a chance to add a right-handed look to an outfield that has been thinned by season-ending injuries to Adolis Garcia and Johan Rojas, and the timing could hardly be more immediate. With a left-handed starter on the other side, Philadelphia has reshaped its lineup for the matchup and turned to a fresh bat from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to help balance things out.
Bryan De La Cruz is in the mix right away, starting in right field and slotting seventh as the Phillies try to squeeze more production out of a lineup that has been searching for answers against lefties. Garrett Stubbs also landed on the injured list, another small but meaningful wrinkle in a roster that keeps shifting, while Aaron Nola gets the ball in a game that carries a little extra weight for a club still sorting out how its lineup fits together. [Read more 🡒]