A's outfielders drawing trade interest from rival clubs, per MLB Network

The Athletics are fielding trade inquiries on their outfield, with rival clubs expressing interest in acquiring one of their active-roster outfielders in exchange for pitching, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

What happened

Per Morosi's report, rival clubs have approached the Athletics about their outfield depth, with the framework of any potential deal centered on the A's receiving pitching in return. The report does not name a specific player as the target, nor does it identify any of the interested clubs.

Two outfielders appear to be effectively removed from those conversations before they start. Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler both signed contract extensions within the past 18 months, placing each under long-term control through at least the 2032 season. Per the report, it can be presumed that both are off the table in trade discussions — though "presumed" is doing real work in that sentence, and the Athletics have not addressed the matter publicly.

The report also touches on Denzel Clarke, who is on the 60-day injured list and has not played since April due to hamstring injuries. Under general league mechanics, placement on the 60-day IL removes a player from the 40-man roster count, which affects how clubs value and structure any potential deal involving him. The report does not reach a conclusion about Clarke's trade candidacy, so his status in these conversations remains genuinely unclear.

Why it matters

The Athletics are 64-98 and eliminated from both the division race and the Wild Card race. That standing is not a footnote — it is the entire context for why this conversation is happening at all. A club in that position has every organizational incentive to convert surplus depth into pitching, particularly if the pitching coming back carries cost control or upside.

The outfield depth that drew this interest exists partly because of those long-term extensions. Soderstrom and Butler are locked in through at least 2032, which means the A's have a known core and, per the report's framing, some flexibility around the edges. The question Morosi's report raises — without answering — is which outfielder on the active roster represents that flexibility.

The Butler situation adds a layer of texture the report does not shy away from. Per Morosi, the Athletics may have some buyer's remorse on Butler's extension, given that his production has declined since he signed that deal in March 2025. At the same time, the report notes that rival clubs are unlikely to have significant interest in Butler precisely because of that declined production and the roughly $59MM still owed on his contract. That is a tidy little trap: the player the A's might most want to move is the one other teams are least eager to take.

The numbers

The Athletics are 64-98 (.395) on the season, sitting fourth in the AL West, 17 games back of the division leader. They rank 11th in the Wild Card standings, 20.0 games relative to the cut line. The team has dropped two straight heading into the weekend.

The roughly $59MM remaining on Lawrence Butler's contract, as cited in Morosi's report, is the financial figure that shapes his trade candidacy — or the absence of one. That number is not a minor detail. It is the reason the report frames Butler as effectively a non-starter in these conversations despite his long-term control: the production decline and the remaining obligation together make him a difficult asset to move, per the report's framing.

Where the club stands

The Athletics are 64-98 and fourth in the AL West, 17 games behind the division leader, with the Wild Card door closed. They are playing home games at Sutter Health Park, where on Sunday, July 19, they host the Washington Nationals with Jacob Lopez lined up opposite Foster Griffin.

The schedule then takes them on the road. On Monday, July 20, the A's travel to Chase Field to open a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Jeffrey Springs set to face Mitch Bratt. The series continues Tuesday, July 21, with Jack Perkins slated to go against Kohl Drake.

A road series against a competitive National League club is a reasonable backdrop for trade conversations to sharpen. The deadline tends to concentrate minds, and a team with a 64-98 record and an outfield that other clubs are reportedly calling about has a clear organizational direction to lean into.

What we don't know yet

The report does not name the outfielder or outfielders generating the most interest. It does not identify which rival clubs have made inquiries. It does not characterize how serious or advanced any of those conversations are — "expressing interest" and "asked about" are early-stage language, and Morosi's report does not suggest anything is imminent.

Clarke's status in these discussions is also unresolved. The report addresses him but does not reach a conclusion about whether his injury situation makes him a viable trade candidate or effectively removes him from consideration. His absence since April and his placement on the 60-day IL are facts on the record; what rival clubs make of that is not reported.

The Butler situation is framed with notable hedging throughout. The report uses "can be presumed" when describing his off-limits status, and the buyer's remorse language is attributed to the report's own framing rather than to any Athletics representative. None of this is a club announcement. The A's have not publicly addressed any of it.

What to watch

### Which outfielder is actually available?

The report does not say. With Soderstrom and Butler presumed off the table — for different reasons, one contractual and one financial — and Clarke sidelined since April, the field of realistic candidates narrows quickly. Any follow-up reporting that names a specific player would represent a meaningful development beyond what Morosi's initial report establishes.

Watch for whether the Athletics respond publicly to the trade interest, and whether any of the inquiring clubs are identified in subsequent reporting. The trade deadline has a way of turning "rival clubs have asked" into something more specific in a short window of time — or into nothing at all. Per Morosi's report as it stands, this is interest, not a deal, and the desk will treat it accordingly until something more concrete emerges.