Tyler Soderstrom is the latest member of the Athletics to sign a contract that will extend into the scheduled 2028 opening of their new ballpark in Las Vegas. He got a firsthand look of what that future will look like.
Before signing a seven-year contract extension worth $86 million, according to a source – the largest guarantee in franchise history – that runs through the 2032 season with a club option for ‘33, Soderstrom toured the site on the Las Vegas strip at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue, where construction on the stadium’s foundation is quickly progressing.
Joined by his wife, Bailey, and parents, Tami and Steve, Soderstrom got a chance to take his position in left field on the exact spot he expects to be standing come Opening Day in just a couple of years.
“It’s going to be on the Las Vegas strip,” Soderstrom said during a press conference Tuesday at the A’s Experience Center in Las Vegas. “Plenty of things to do for family and friends. The overall excitement of a new stadium, me getting to go out there today and seeing it from the starting point to the finish, is going to be super special.”
The reward of a long-term extension was something Soderstrom – who turned 24 on Nov. 24 – earned in a breakout 2025 campaign. He slashed .276/.346/.474 with 25 home runs, 93 RBIs and a 126 OPS+ in 158 games. Defensively, Soderstrom made the transition from Opening Day first baseman to left field – following the April 23 arrival of eventual American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz – look seamless by finishing as an American League Gold Glove Award finalist with 11 outfield assists and +5 outs above average.
The willingness to switch positions, particularly to one he hadn’t played since high school, played just as big a role in why the A’s made this deal as Soderstrom’s impressive overall numbers.
“Watching his maturation process for the last three years, I couldn’t be more proud of where he’s at,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “The work Tyler has put in on and off the field, becoming a leader, that’s what we’re really focused on, too. For Tyler to take a leadership position. … He’s definitely our future, and he’s shown his trust in us by making his commitment to the A’s organization for the next seven years.”
Soderstrom’s contract continues the path the A’s want to lay of locking in a core group of talent that will be ready to compete from day one of the move to Las Vegas. It began last offseason when they signed All-Star designated hitter Brent Rooker and outfielder Lawrence Butler to long-term contract extensions.
Before the season begins, the A’s would also like to reach multi-year extensions for more players from their young core, which includes Kurtz, shortstop Jacob Wilson and catcher Shea Langeliers.
“This is kind of the blueprint for how we want to open the ballpark in ‘28,” A’s general manager David Forst said. “We’ve had groups of really good young players and haven’t been able to keep them together. As long as we’ve talked about a new ballpark, it’s been [what we needed] in order to keep the group together. …
“This is one step. We hope there are others. We hope to bring in free agents. The reality of that ballpark down on the strip allows us to operate differently than we have at any time in our history.”
Of course, it takes two sides to make these deals work. Players have to be willing to stick around for the long haul. That appears to be the case with these young A’s. On the field, they generated some momentum with a 34-24 finish after July 24 to improve their win total from 2024 by seven games at 76-86.
Off the field, the group is as tight-knit as it gets. Earlier this offseason, Soderstrom’s wedding in Hawaii was attended by most of his A’s teammates. A few weeks later, that same group traveled to Arizona to celebrate Wilson’s wedding.
“That’s probably one of the biggest reasons why this is coming to fruition now,” Soderstrom said. “We have such great relationships. … I can speak for the other young guys in this organization that we’re really excited for what’s to come. We’re going to finish out those years in [West Sacramento], but we’re super excited to get to Las Vegas and looking forward to the future.”