While nearly every other MLB team made moves at the 2026 MLB trade deadline to boost its present and future, the Athletics sat on the sidelines, unwilling to shake up a roster that is staring down a fifth straight losing season.
Entering the deadline, it felt like the A’s were not going to do much, as the organization continues building in anticipation of its 2028 relocation to Las Vegas. As such, it made sense that the team kept recently extended starters Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom off the market,
as well as promising rookies Henry Bolte, Gage Jump and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer.
The reason why the team did basically nothing was that it had no healthy, valuable players to put on the trade block. Injuries and performance regression were major factors behind the team’s collapse over the past couple of months.
The A’s two pending free-agents, left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs and second baseman Jeff McNeil, stayed with the team. Their poor performances and team-options for next season likely discouraged contending teams from pursuing them.
A’s Make A Minor Trade
The Athletics’ lone move was announced right at the deadline. The club traded 25-year-old outfielder Colby Thomas to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for right-handed reliever Seth Johnson.
Thomas had plenty of opportunity to prove himself with the Athletics since he made his MLB debut last August, but he failed to provide much of an impact. With the A’s, he accumulated 10 home runs and 30 RBIs over his first 234 major league at-bats. Now he goes to Philadelphia, where he will look to provide some thump against left-handed pitchers for a Phillies team in the postseason hunt.
Johnson can immediately slot into an A’s bullpen in need of help. Through 16 appearances with the Phillies this season, the hard-throwing 27-year-old recorded a 1-0 record, a 5.51 ERA and 20 strikeouts. He has fared significantly better at Triple-A, going 1-1 with a 2.17 ERA at that lower level.
Trade Grade: C
They traded from a position of strength, getting rid of Thomas, who projects as only a platoon bat due to the incompetence he has shown against right-handed pitchers. In return, they acquired a former highly ranked pitching prospect who could help a bullpen that owns the worst ERA in the majors
Johnson’s electric arsenal consists of a high-90s four-seam fastball and a power slider. He has struggled to limit the walks, making him a natural fit for this walk-happy pitching staff. If the A’s can harness his stuff and help him throw more strikes, he could emerge as a late-inning weapon for this bullpen-needy club.
Opportunity Missed
The Green and Gold could have made more of an impact had starting catcher Shea Langeliers not suffered a torn meniscus. Given his multiple years of team control and elite all-around performance, Langeliers would have fetched the Athletics a return on par if not bigger than what the Boston Red Sox sent to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for mutli-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman.
Unfortunately, Langeliers’ potential season-ending injury took him off the market. It also likely contributed to the team keeping fellow catcher Jonah Heim, a free-agent at season’s end.
Do you think the trade deadline moved the needle for the Athletics? Were you waiting for them to make a splashy move? What do you think the A’s World Series odds (currently set at +100000 by FanDuel) are? Weigh in below.
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