Shortly after trading for Jeff McNeil, the Athletics gave their fans a Christmas present by handing Tyler Soderstrom a seven-year, $86 million extension, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The deal includes an eighth-year club option and maxes out at $131 million if all escalators are reached.
BREAKING: Left fielder Tyler Soderstrom and the A's are in agreement on a seven-year, $86 million contract extension, the largest guarantee in franchise history, sources tell ESPN. The deal includes an eighth-year club option and has escalators that max it out at $131 million.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 25, 2025
This deal keeps Soderstrom, a player who established himself as a key piece of the Athletics' core, in town for the better part of the next decade and buys out his prime free agency years. It's a small risk, given Soderstrom only has one full MLB season under his belt, but this is a deal every team should be looking to make. An owner as cheap as John Fisher making it is proof of that. With that in mind, these teams should look to follow in the A's footsteps and extend their homegrown stars.
Bob Nutting: Pittsburgh Pirates
Extension candidates: Paul Skenes, Konnor Griffin
The Pittsburgh Pirates have actually spent some money this offseason, trading for Brandon Lowe and signing Ryan O'Hearn to fortify what was an atrocious offense in 2025. As cool as it's been to see Bob Nutting dust off the wallet, it'd be even better to see him spend money on the core pieces the Pirates have put in place.
Extending Paul Skenes is, admittedly, a pipe dream, but perhaps it's early enough in his career that the Pirates could afford whatever the right-hander might be commanding. Whether they can extend Skenes or not, the Pirates could take a gamble and extend Konnor Griffin. There's always the risk of a deal for a player who hasn't even debuted yet backfiring, but Griffin has superstar upside. Ensuring Griffin will spend the next decade in Pittsburgh and won't just bolt after arbitration (or earlier via trade) would be very wise.
Jerry Reinsdorf: Chicago White Sox
Extension candidates: Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery
The Chicago White Sox are another team that's spent money for the first time in a while this offseason, headlined by their Munetaka Murakami signing. It's probably unlikely that the White Sox do much more in free agency, but locking up an extension with one of their young building blocks would get the fan base even more excited for what's to come.
Both Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery really impressed in their first big league opportunities and looked like players the White Sox could build around. Neither would command much more than Soderstrom, and the White Sox, a big market team, can absolutely afford to do a deal like this without breaking a sweat.
Tom Ricketts: Chicago Cubs
Extension candidates: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cade Horton
It's a shame that the Chicago Cubs are even on this list, but Tom Ricketts just doesn't spend enough to shed the cheap label. If Ricketts and Jed Hoyer refuse to spend in free agency, why not just lock up some members of an exciting young core?
To Ricketts' credit, the Cubs did try to extend Crow-Armstrong in 2025, but to no avail. It's worth trying to lock him up again, even after his breakout, and whether he accepts a deal or not, the Cubs should test the waters with Cade Horton, a future All-Star in his own right.
Paul Dolan: Cleveland Guardians
Extension candidate: Cade Smith
The Cleveland Guardians' refusal to build around Jose Ramirez is incredibly frustrating, but extending Cade Smith would be a move that could keep Guardians fans at least somewhat satisfied. Yes, Smith is a reliever, which isn't as valuable as a starter or a position player, but Smith happens to be one of the best relievers in the American League, and he's needed now more than ever.
With the likelihood that Emmanuel Clase won't play another MLB game again, Smith is now the Guardians' closer. Rather than trade him when he gets too expensive, as is tradition in Cleveland, why not ensure he'll be there to close games for the next several years? It's worth a shot.
Bob Castellini: Cincinnati Reds
Extension candidates: Chase Burns, Sal Stewart
The Cincinnati Reds attempted to bring Kyle Schwarber back home but failed and are now unlikely to spend on any impactful free agent. This is an incredibly disappointing outcome, but one that won't be nearly as irritating by locking up a young member of the core.
An Elly De La Cruz extension is likely too expensive at this point, but what about Chase Burns? Just 13 appearances into his big league career, it's easy to see his ace-level upside. What about Sal Stewart, an infielder who had an .839 OPS in his brief big league cameo to finish out the regular season? There's a good chance that neither of these players will command what Soderstrom did, making it an easy no-brainer for Cincinnati.
Chris Ilitch: Detroit Tigers
Extension candidates: Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene
Detroit Tigers fans want Tarik Skubal extended, and believe me, he should be a Tiger for the rest of his career. Unfortunately, it's not looking like an extension is possible at this point, whether Chris Ilitch is willing to open up the purse strings or not. The unlikelihood of a Skubal extension should not stop Illitch from spending, though.
Riley Greene has established himself as a star already, launching 36 home runs in 2025. Extending him will be pricey, but knowing how high his ceiling is, why not pursue this? Another candidate is Kevin McGonigle, one of the three best prospects in the game, who is knocking on the door of the big leagues. Again, there's some risk that comes with extending a player who hasn't debuted, but McGonigle is worth that gamble.
Bruce Sherman: Miami Marlins
Extension candidates: Eury Perez, Jakob Marsee
The Miami Marlins are a team that should be as eager as any to extend its young players because their books are as open as any team's. Sandy Alcantara is the only Marlins player under contract through 2027, and there's a real chance he's traded before that contract expires. This wiggleroom makes it abundantly clear that the Marlins can and should extend some of their talented players.
Fortunately, they've been rumored to be interested in extending some of their guys, with Eury Perez and Jakob Marsee as examples. Perez figures to be the ace of their rotation in 2026 and beyond, and Marsee really impressed in his stint in the majors in the second half of this past season. Ensuring that one or both of these players will be in town for the better part of the next decade makes too much sense for a team that, even with limited resources, has so much money to spend.
Mark Attanasio: Milwaukee Brewers
Extension candidate: Jacob Misiorowski
The Milwaukee Brewers have a knack for losing their good players right before they hit free agency, and Freddy Peralta is likely the latest example of that. While Peralta is unlikely to be extended, the Brewers can avoid this outcome by handing a long-term deal out to Jacob Misiorowski, their potential ace of the future.
Misiorowski had his share of ups and downs in his rookie year, but he has dynamic stuff and is only 23 years old. He hasn't accomplished much yet, so his price will be rather low for now, making it more than palatable for Milwaukee.
Mark Lerner: Washington Nationals
Extension candidate: James Wood
It's entirely possible that the Washington Nationals missed their window when discussing a James Wood extension when considering how dominant a first full season he just had, but he's still young and inexperienced enough to have his extension range be doable for a Nationals team that has spent big money in the past.
The Nationals were famously willing to offer Juan Soto over $400 million when he was with the team. I'm not saying Wood is the player Soto was, but his ceiling is very high, and he's the face of the franchise right now. Keeping Wood, a local product, in D.C. long-term should be Mark Lerner's No. 1 priority, and without any expensive contracts long-term, doing so should be more than feasible.
John Fisher: Athletics
Extension candidates: Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson
John Fisher deserves credit for getting the Soderstrom deal done, and he deserves credit for getting deals done with Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler as well, but why stop there? The Athletics have the makings of a very impressive young core, and Fisher should be trying to get as many of them locked in as possible.
Nick Kurtz is the easiest player to give an extension to, but he's also the most expensive coming off. historically great rookie year. Kurtz will cost a lot more than Soderstrom did, but he's also a much better player. If Kurtz isn't an option, what about Jacob Wilson, an impressive rookie in his own right? Getting one of these cornerstones locked in will have fans even more excited for what's to come.