The Meinert Hops quick struck a deal with the Alamo Short Stacks on Monday morning, acquiring catcher/first baseman Tyler Soderstrom (Minors) in exchange for a 2024 4th Round Pick (52nd Overall).
Selected by the Athletics with the 26th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft out of a high school in California, Soderstrom climbed through the minor leagues far more quickly than most young catchers and made his major-league debut just after the 2023 All-Star break at age 21. How much he'll actually catch over the course of his big-league career is an unsettled debate, but he should retain eligibility at fantasy baseball's shallowest position for at least a little while longer as he also works in at first base and DH. Oakland loves his bat, and it's easy to see why. Across his 268 total games on the farm, the now 22-year-old registered an .856 OPS with 62 home runs and 216 RBI, and he absolutely feasted on right-handed pitching as a fast-rising lefty-swinging slugger.
Soderstrom got off to a slow start in spring training, and the struggles continued which led to him being optioned to the Minors to start 2024. The catcher posted a .370 OPS across 34 plate appearances in 14 games. At Triple-A Las Vegas in 2023, the 22-year-old had a .833 OPS with 21 home runs.