The 2025 A's Have A Crowded Outfield

As the 2025 season is inching closer, it's hard not to notice the depth in the current A's outfield.

Aug 19, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielders Abraham Toro (31) , Miguel Andujar (22) and Lawrence Butler (4) celebrate after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

As crazy as it sounds to say, the Athletics play baseball games this month. After a fairly active off-season, the A's roster looks very close to being set heading into Spring Training.

On the A's current 40-man roster, the team has lots of outfield depth--which is a good problem to have. Miguel Andujar, JJ Bleday, Lawrence Butler, Seth Brown, Brent Rooker, Esteury Ruiz, and prospect Denzel Clarke are the outfielders on the 40-man roster.

Out of those seven players, only one is a longshot to make the Opening Day Roster, and that is top 10 ranked prospect Denzel Clarke. The reason that he doesn't have a great chance at competing for a roster spot would be the fact that he hasn't played a single game at the Triple-A level.

Clarke played in the Arizona Fall League this off-season and was a standout player. If Clarke can start his 2025 campaign in Triple-A and put up some good numbers, the club might have to find space for the athletic outfielder at some point in 2025.

It seems like Lawrence Butler and JJ Bleday will lock up right field and center field on most days. This leaves just left field and designated hitter spots for Miguel Andujar, Seth Brown, and Brent Rooker.

Brent Rooker served as the team's designated hitter for the entirety of the second half last season due to an elbow injury that required a small procedure this off-season. He'll likely remain as the club's designated hitter for much of the 2025 season, but now with a healed-up elbow, he'll be available for some innings in the outfield as well.

On Roster Resource, they have Miguel Andujar and Seth Brown platooning in left field. However, they also have Esteury Ruiz on the roster--meaning they think the A's will carry 6 outfielders. To account for the team carrying more outfielders, they have Darell Hernaiz and Brett Harris starting in Triple-A, even though at least one of them will probably break camp as a possible platoon option for Gio Urshela.

Also, the team has utility-man Max Schuemann on the roster who is capable of playing both the infield and the outfield.

It just doesn't make sense for the A's to carry all of these outfielders, while going without a platoon for Gio Urshela and have one less infielder on the roster. This means the club would have to possibly option Esteury Ruiz, or trade away one of the outfielders prior to Opening Day.

The A's also have some non-roster invites looking for spots in Spring Training. Outside the 40-man roster, Colby Thomas, the A's No. 7 ranked prospect, will also be competing for an outfield spot this spring.

He's done a good job with the A's Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators, as well as for Team USA this off-season. Unfortunately, even if he has a monster spring, it's pretty unlikely Thomas will break the Opening Day roster, given that he's not already on the 40-man. But don't count him out for making his MLB debut sometime this season if the A's get an opening in the outfield.

A's general manager David Forst and the A's front office will surely have some decision-making to do come the end of camp. Sure, there's a chance the problem solves itself if injuries or under-performances occur, but if not, it will certainly make this spring interesting for the A's outfield situation.