I wanted to write about the off-season before it comes so that I have a chance to make a plea that y’all not disappear under a rock (or under Iraq) just because the A’s aren’t actively playing games. The off-season is also a great time for analysis, opinion, and reaction to news — which there should be plenty of given that the A’s appear poised to contend if they can have a good enough off-season.
A good off-season probably means bolstering the pitching side, since the A’s have one of the league’s better offenses and it’s all under contract control for years to come. The defense, certainly a weakness the first half of 2026, gets a mammoth boost if Denzel Clarke can man CF on a daily basis, and Tyler Soderstrom has quickly become an excellent LFer. The infield defense still depends largely on who plays where, but with Brett Harris and Darell Hernaiz now potentially in the mix there is some strong defense available.
As for the pitching, ideally you would like to see Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs slotted into more like the #3 and #4 spots. The A’s do have some pitchers with the potential to slot into a #1 or #2 role but they come with question marks:
Luis Morales is the A’s best hope and the only question there is whether at 23 (as of 2 days ago) and 8 starts he is ready to offer the consistency you expect from a “front of the rotation” SP.
Jacob Lopez was pitching like a FOTR arm when he went down, but didn’t thrive long enough to establish what he can maintain over a full season — and there have to be some lingering questions around his health given the dreaded “forearm tightness” that shut him down.
Jack Perkins has #2 SP stuff, but not necessarily #2 SP control, and it’s very unclear whether his body can hold up to the demands of starting. He could be a great SP or he could be the A’s closer or he could be on and off the IL as he has been the last couple years.
So the A’s are likely to enter the off-season looking to add more starting pitching even if they appear to have “enough” SPs on the current depth chart. Severino-Springs-Morales-Perkins-Lopez-Ginn-Hoglund-Harris-Basso-Barnett-Spence-Morris-Waldichuk-Medina sounds like a lot of depth until you consider that many will be injured, or ineffective, or ultimately housed in the bullpen.
The A’s might settle for adding more “solid #4” types, but on paper that’s where they really do have ample depth. Free agency is an unlikely route for adding even a mid-rotation SP given how expensive they are and how handicapped the A’s are selling Sacramento to a free agent.
Most likely if the A’s are to add a frontline SP it’s going to be through trade, either gambling on an unproven arm with ample upside or offering some prospect talent to pry away a proven SP.
We’ve delved into some of the possible trade targets over the months, but today let’s look at who the A’s might have to offer in order to get a key arm for the 2026 rotation.
One would assume that Soderstrom has played himself into “untouchable” territory given his strong contributions on both offense and defense, that he is still young and improving, and given his supremely affordable contract.
Shea Langeliers probably isn’t going anywhere either given that not only did he emerge as one of the league’s best catchers (3.7 WAR) due to his improved bat (.271/.321/.532, 129 wRC+), the A’s simply don’t have a suitable replacement. So dealing Langeliers for pitching would require the A’s to turn around and make a deal for a primary catcher.
To get top talent you’re going to have to deal top talent, but you can’t undermine your own ability to compete if the goal is to win in 2026. Kurtz and Wilson are going nowhere. So … Would it make sense for the A’s, who have four 25+ HR hitters, to dangle Brent Rooker as bait to get a quality SP in return? Rooker doesn’t provide defensive value and he’s one of the A’s highest paid players — but for a team in need of more offense he would be a nifty get. Cleveland and Pittsburgh leap to mind as teams with a lot of good pitching and a meager offense.
Trading Rooker would open up the DH spot for a rotation that might keep some key players, e.g., Langeliers, Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson more fresh. Or it could be an opportunity to get more at bats from a “bat first” player such as Max Muncy (or down the road that could be Devin Taylor).
I’m not saying the A’s should or will move Rooker, but he comes to mind as the best fit for a “trade a quality big leaguer to land a quality starting pitcher and compete in 2026” deal.
All prospects are risks so in theory you could deem anyone touchable, but I think it’s safe to assume the A’s aren’t going to be dealing Leo De Vries, Gage Jump, or Jamie Arnold. Who does that leave who could get you a #2 SP?
One possibility would be A’s “MiLB Player of the Year” Henry Bolte who comes with terrific upside and equal risk. He’s a guy who could make a trade look really good or really bad — only the A’s and the opposing teams scouting him know which one they think is in the offing.
Tommy White is pretty highly ranked on most lists, but seems unlikely to headline a package that brings back an exciting arm. Daniel Susac has 1st round pedigree and many teams are searching for upgrades to their catchers, but he hasn’t performed his way into “headliner” status. Muncy, now a big leaguer, also has 1st round pedigree but has yet to establish what he can be in the big leagues and comes with enough questions around health and defense that it’s anybody’s guess how coveted he would be in trade talks.
You could spin a potential front-mid rotation prospect for one who is already doing that in the big leagues (or is ready to if he breaks out). Braden Nett (ranked #4 on MLB pipeline) and Wei-En Lin (performing great but still only 19) are a couple examples.
So there’s a few to discuss: Rooker, Bolte, Nett, Lin. Who would you be ok parting with if it meant possibly addressing the need for another front line SP? And can it get you someone relatively reliable to serve in that capacity or is it someone who hasn’t done it yet but might be ready to in 2026? And who is this SP you’re envisioning the A’s acquiring?
Feel free to throw out your trade ideas in full, or just to comment on some of the names I’ve bandied about — or some I didn’t mention. Should be an interesting off-season; I hope you’ll be around on AN for it.