A's GM David Forst on Tyler Soderstrom, First Base
In a recent episode of A's Cast, Sacramento Athletics GM David Forst was asked about the first base situation, given that Tyler Soderstrom is being asked to catch a little more in camp. Forst made sure to set the record straight.
"Tyler is going to be the primary first baseman. It's nice that [Seth Brown] can play there, [Miguel} Andujar can play there, [Gio] Urshela has played there, so we have some options. But Tyler has done a great job already, balancing first base and catching. I think as we get closer to Opening Day, we'll know better what exactly his role is.
"But the way he performed last year when he was healthy, the way he was swinging the bat, he's got to be in there somewhere."
As we have mentioned this offseason, especially since the A's DFA'd Kyle McCann to bring in another backup catcher with limited MLB experience, Soderstrom is a very real possibility behind the dish as the backup option to Shea Langeliers. At the very beginning of the offseason, Forst told reporters that the team had told him not to put away his catching gear just yet.
While he's not going to be the A's primary catcher, having Soderstrom as the team's backup would allow him to continue to receive playing time while also adding an extra infielder or outfielder to the roster, giving the club more options in certain situations as well as increased flexibility.
Last season as the A's backup backstop, McCann played in a total of 54 games. In 44 of those games, he put on catcher's gear. In just 39 of those he was the A's starting catcher, and he completed 30 of those 39 starts. McCann ended up with 157 plate appearances, which doesn't seem like a ton of time that Soderstrom would have to make up for.
In an ideal scenario, the A's would have a masher that they could drop in to play first base, but the goal of this potential project would be to put one of the trio of Brown, Andujar, or Urshela in the right situations to have maximum success while also lengthening the lineup on rare days that Langeliers gets a breather.
If the A's decide to go with a regular backup catcher on the roster, then the options would appear to be McCann, who is no longer on the team's 40-man roster, Willie MacIver, who is also not on the 40-man and has yet to make his MLB debut, and Jhonny Pereda, who is on the 40-man and has limited MLB experience.
In a few month's time, the A's could be ready to pull the trigger on calling up former first-round pick Daniel Susac being the backup option, but he has yet to play in Triple-A at this point, so his arrival could have to wait until after the All-Star break at the earliest.
There is also the question of what happens to Soderstrom when last year's first-round selection at No. 4 overall, Nick Kurtz, is ready to debut. The first baseman has loud tools and could zip right through the minors in 2025, much like 2023's No. 6 overall selection Jacob Wilson did last year.
Kurtz will be the A's first baseman sooner rather than later, so having a backup plan for Soderstrom in place would be ideal. That backup plan may just end up being that he is the backup catcher, at least on a part-time basis.
Jason has been covering the A’s at various sites for over a decade, and was the original host of the Locked on A’s podcast. He also covers the Stanford Cardinal as they attempt to rebuild numerous programs to prominence.