This offseason, the Athletics have secured the futures of two of their brightest young stars, agreeing to contract extensions with shortstop Jacob Wilson and first baseman Tyler Soderstrom.
Wilson signed a seven-year, $70 million deal with a club option for an additional year. Soderstrom, on the other hand, agreed to a seven-year, $86 million contract, also containing a club option for an eighth year and potential clauses that if activated, can bring the total value of the contract to $131 million.
Although these are steps in the right direction, former big leaguer Trevor Plouffe, now an analyst, brought up the one glaring factor that he believes is still holding the team down: their subpar pitching staff.
“I think their offensive core is awesome, they’re a treat to watch. I’ve watched their games, I’ve broadcast their games, I’ve seen them play in Sacramento. I get the vibe. It seems to me there’s always a core group of players with the A’s that are fun to watch, and then they end up getting shipped out. It’s just like a cycle that happens over and over again. It’s not happening here, well, not yet. They’re under team control,” Plouffe said, during Monday’s episode of ‘Baseball Today’ (21:51).
“Does any of them have no-trade clauses? No. I’m not buying what they’re selling, just because what we’ve talked about in the past. The pitching is so bad. They need to figure something out. Whether it’s guys coming up from the organization and solidifying not only the rotation, but the bullpen as well. I just can’t (believe in them), I’ve seen it too many times. I love watching these guys hit the ball. I love watching them play defense, but the pitching is really bad,” he added.
Athletics Fans Will Hope To See More Of The Same From Jacob Wilson And Tyler Soderstrom In 2026
Both Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom enjoyed superb 2025 seasons.
Jacob Wilson batted .311 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs, earning his first All-Star selection and finishing second in the AL Rookie of the Year standings, behind Athletics’ teammate Nick Kurtz.
Tyler Soderstrom, on the other hand, batted .276 with 25 home runs and 93 RBIs.
Despite the pair’s best efforts, however, the Athletics endured yet another disappointing season, finishing fourth in the AL West with a 76-86 record, failing to qualify for the postseason for the fifth consecutive year.
Hoping to see the team return to the playoffs in 2026, fans will hope to see Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom continue performing in the same vein.
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