What will the Athletics do leading up to Trade Deadline after cold streak?

This isn’t exactly the position that the Athletics expected themselves to be in.

During Spring Training, the A’s made it clear that 2026 was the year in which they hoped to ascend into true playoff contention. About five months later, though, they limped into the All-Star break on a nine-game losing streak and having dropped 17 of their past 20 games.

The brutal stretch entering the break presents a conundrum ahead of the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. Yes, the A’s are not fully out of the playoff picture, especially in the race for the third American League Wild Card spot at 6 1/2 games back. But they’re also clearly playing their worst baseball of the season, and nothing about the way they ended the unofficial first half of the season suggests things will get better soon.

Part of it is injuries. The A’s have lost their leader and All-Star slugger in Brent Rooker for the season, while key players such as Nick Kurtz, Zack Gelof, Denzel Clarke and Luis Severino remain on the injured list. Part of it is underperformance, with players like Lawrence Butler, Jeffrey Springs, Luis Morales and Jacob Lopez performing well below their high expectations entering the year.

• Record at the break: 41-55 (Fourth in AL West, 8.0 games back)
• Record at the break last year: 41-57 (Fifth in AL West, 16.0 games back)
• Playoff odds: 1.4%
• Remaining Strength of Schedule: .490 (24th easiest in MLB)

Where do they go from here? That all depends on what happens from now until August. The A’s have a short window to stop what has been a freefall in the standings over the past few weeks and remain the buyers they expected to be at the start of the year, with an eye towards improving their pitching in hopes of a second-half playoff push.

Should the A’s drop even further in the standings as we approach August, they may have no choice but to sell. It wouldn’t be a full blowup, as there is still a young core of talent in place with controllable contracts that the club still believes in. The A’s would surely get calls on some of their young stars like All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers, who unlike Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom remains without a contract extension to this point. But their version of selling would probably be on a smaller scale, with veterans such as Mark Leiter Jr. and Jeff McNeil likely on the table in that scenario.

Biggest need: Pitching
The A’s are in major need of pitching. As buyers, they would likely target a proven starter and a veteran reliever. As sellers, any moves would be made with an eye on acquiring pitching as well.

Biggest chip: Tommy White
Assuming they remain buyers, the A’s are desperate for an upgrade in the pitching department -- both starting and relieving. White, the club’s No. 7 prospect, would be an attractive chip as a Major League-ready player with elite hitting traits. If they sell, one has to wonder if catcher Langeliers could become available, though any selling would likely be on a lower level, perhaps trading a veteran reliever like Leiter to a contender.

Key player for second half: Nick Kurtz
Even as he was slumping before landing on the injured list, Kurtz was putting together an MVP-type season. He’s the type of young star who can carry a team on his back, and that’s exactly what the A’s will need them to do to keep their dwindling playoff hopes alive. If Kurtz’s absence prolongs, the A’s may have to choice but to become sellers.

Determining factor
It would be difficult for the A’s to declare themselves sellers after entering the season expecting to contend for the playoffs. If they fall any further in the standings from where they were at entering the break, light selling might be the harsh reality.