Athletics sign young star to record-breaking $86 million deal: reports
The Athletics reportedly gave one of their young stars a very nice Christmas present.
The Athletics and left fielder Tyler Soderstrom agreed to a seven-year, $86 million contract on Thursday, according to multiple reports.
The contract is the largest the team has ever given out. The deal also includes an eighth-year club option and has escalators that bring the maximum value of the contract to $131 million.
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Soderstrom, 24, broke out in 2025. He debuted in 2023 as a catcher and first baseman, and struggled to hit in his first taste of Major League Baseball, hitting .160 with just three home runs and a .472 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) in 45 games.
The Turlock, Calif., native came back up to the big leagues in 2024 and was much better. In 61 games, Soderstrom had a .233 batting average with nine home runs, 26 RBI and a .743 OPS while still primarily playing first base.
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In 2025, Soderstrom played primarily left field and thrived at the plate. He started 145 of the 158 games he played this year — 100 of those starts in left field — his first full major league season.
In those 158 games, he batted .276 with 25 home runs and 93 RBI with an OPS of .820, cementing himself as a key piece of the Athletics’ young core.
Soderstrom was on track to become eligible for arbitration after the 2026 season and for free agency after the 2029 season. Instead, he joins outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker (five-year, $60 million contract) and outfielder Lawrence Butler (seven-year, $65.5 million contract) as another part of the young, dynamic lineup that is locked in long term.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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