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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.
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.
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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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