Who's On First? Discussing the A's First Base Options in 2025

The 2025 A's infield looks pretty cemented aside from first base. Let's discuss the team's options for first base for the upcoming season.

Sep 18, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Tyler Soderstrom (21) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

As we enter the New Year, it means that we are inching closer to pitchers and catchers reporting, and also closer to the A's first Spring Training game against the Padres on February 22nd.

Before then, however, the Athletics have plenty of off-season to continue adding to their improving roster. They also have some decisions to be made, such as who will be the starting first baseman heading into the new season. The team has some in-house options, but could also look to explore the free agency and trade markets.

If the season started today, it would be obvious that former top A's prospect Tyler Soderstrom would get the nod to be the everyday first baseman. Soderstrom was mainly a catcher in the A's system but picked up first base because Shea Langeliers was the team's catcher.

When Soderstrom was first called up for the second half of the 2023 season, he did not look like the guy the A's thought they drafted, as he was a former first-round pick and their number one ranked prospect. He batted an underwhelming .160 in 125 at-bats in that season.

Fast forward to 2024, and Soderstrom would get another chance with the big league club, getting at-bats as an everyday first baseman for a chunk of the season. However, Soderstrom was still hitting mediocre at best, posting a .233 batting average in 189 at-bats. It was a slight improvement, but not too much to get excited about. He showed what he could do in spurts, but he'll need to be more consistent in order to remain at first.

It's really hard to give up this soon on a guy who was drafted in the first round, but he just hasn't proven to be the guy that MLB scouts raved about in the minor leagues. Injuries stopped him from getting more playing time in 2024 but he was pretty mediocre when he was healthy. Surely he'll get an opportunity to win the spot in Spring Training, but with the A's improvements this off-season, it wouldn't be a surprise if they look to upgrade at first base.

There has been some speculation about the A's possibly considering signing 4 time All-Star Pete Alonso. However, there are quite a few problems with signing the former New York Met. Alonso is reportedly seeking a long-term contract, and it is projected that he could land a deal worth over $120 million. Sure the A's have dished out some heavier contracts than usual this off-season, but none even close to this hefty.

Sure the star power and his previous track record make him an enticing option, but do the A's really need to look outside the organization for their long-term first baseman? The answer is no. This is because, with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the A's selected Nick Kurtz out of Wake Forest, and it looks like he could be a stud.

Kurtz has had an unbelievable start to his professional career. After raking his way through the lower levels of the A's system, he was quickly promoted to Double-A Midland just about a month after the draft. A's general manager David Forst even commented on Kurtz's performance in Low-A Stockton, "He was effectively cosplaying Matt Olson in A-ball. … We wanted to challenge him.”

The odds of Kurtz making the Opening Day roster is very unlikely. The A's do need someone to hold down first base until he is ready though. However, signing Alonso to a long-term deal doesn't make sense. There's certainly a chance we see Kurtz in the big leagues at some point this year.

The A's 2023 first round pick, Jacob Wilson, was recently fast tracked to the big leagues after tearing his way up the A's system. The same thing could likely be in the picture for Kurtz if he can play similar to how he did in the minor leagues and the Arizona Fall League in 2024.

If the A's decide to ship off Soderstrom in a trade, or decide that he shouldn't be the everyday first baseman, they do have some external options to consider. With guys like Christian Walker, Paul Goldschmidt, and Carlos Santana all off the board, there aren't that many intriguing free agent options at first base position aside from Pete Alonso.

Some veterans who could possibly take a one-year deal in free agency include Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo, Yuli Gurriel, Jose Abreu, and Ty France. All of those guys are veterans who have valuable experience that could help out this young A's club for 2025. However, those guys likely aren't much of an upgrade from Tyler Soderstrom, but the team would certainly benefit from having their veteran presence in the clubhouse.

It seems like the most likely option for the club is to let Tyler Soderstrom prove himself for one more season, just to see if he can turn into the player the scouts loved, and hold down the spot until Nick Kurtz is ready. Although adding Pete Alonso could be a good option for the A's, he'll be too expensive and want a long-term contract, and the A's could already have their long-term first baseman in Nick Kurtz.