MESA, Ariz. – The Oakland A’s are building for the future and part of their foundation is an abundance of young catchers who will see more development with the addition of some experienced pitchers.
Catchers Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers are entering their first and second full seasons in MLB, respectively. Both players were first-round picks and are viewed as key pieces for the team’s future.
The A’s acquired Langeliers in 2022 as a prospect in the deal that sent superstar first baseman Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves, so there are high expectations for him to be a leader on the team even though he is only 26.
“It’s kind of like I’ve been here for a little bit, but I’m still a young guy,” Langeliers said. “I got to be around Stephen Vogt and Sean Murphy and be a sponge around those guys and take in how they prepared and how they go about daily stuff. You take that all in and try to pass it on to the next guy and get better as a group.”
The A’s value Langeliers immensely as the headliner of the package they received for Olson.
The Baylor product had several accomplishments in the minors as the A’s representative in the 2022 All-Star Futures Game and the Braves’ Minor League Player of the Year in 2021, but now is the time for him to showcase that talent in the majors.
Langeliers struggled in his rookie season to the tune of a 92 OPS+ (100 is the league average) and a .205 batting average, but rookie struggles are normal and the A’s expect him to take a big step forward this season.
Langeliers is someone Oakland coveted, but it also drafted a pair of catchers in the first round the last few years. The A’s took Soderstrom out of Turlock High School in 2020 and Daniel Susac, a suburban Sacramento native, in 2022 out of the University of Arizona.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay has a good problem on his hands with young options at catcher, where Kyle McCann and Yohel Pozo are also competing for time early this spring. Veteran Carlos Perez is also in the organization.
“We’re going to try to get everybody as much work as possible early,” Kotsay said. “As we get further into it, that’s when we’ll start assessing roles and where we see guys, so we’ll do our best to get every one of those six guys some reps. With Susac being so young, you won’t be able to see him as much, but those other five guys, they’ve got an opportunity to touch this club at some point.
Obviously, you know that Shea is going to be a starter. He has deserved that right.”
The A’s have brought in some veteran pitchers to pair with the young catchers, bolstering their starting rotation with the additions of Alex Wood and Ross Stripling, both of whom played with the San Francisco Giants last season. Not only were Wood and Stripling teammates at Oracle Park, but they also played three seasons together with the Los Angeles Dodgers and each earned an All-Star selection during their time at Chavez Ravine.
New reliever Scott Alexander was a teammate with Wood and Stripling in Los Angeles and San Francisco, so there was familiarity when he officially signed with the A’s last week. Oakland had an open spot on the 40-man roster when left-handed pitcher Ken Waldichuk landed on the 60-day injured list due to a strained left elbow.
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Another addition to the arm barn that may fly under the radar is 31-year-old Trevor Gott, who is now playing for his seventh team since he debuted in 2015. Gott’s career statistics may not look flashy with a 4.65 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, but he is a journeyman whose experience can be helpful to a young team.
“I was a young guy once,” Gott said. “I remember when I was 21, 22 in the big leagues with Huston Street and Joe Smith. Those guys helped me get through that adjustment. I hope I can be looked at as one of those guys, not that I’m Huston Street or Joe Smith, but maybe one day I can.
“They can come to me with questions or anything. Just be anything, success, failure, all kinds of stuff.”
Oakland did not sign any big stars this offseason but added a plethora of experienced pitchers – like Gott – to work with the young catchers.
“I think my expectation for them, in terms of their leadership and their roles in the clubhouse, how they prepare their routines and it’s infectious to the group,” Kotsay said. “They’ll have their ups and downs as we all do through the course of 162 games, but at the end of the season, it will be similar to what the back of the baseball card always says it is.”