Oakland A's call up top prospect Shea Langeliers, a key piece of Matt Olson trade

Oakland acquired the young catcher from the Braves in March

The Oakland A's on Tuesday announced a series of roster moves that most notably included the call-up of catcher Shea Langeliers, the organization's top prospect.

For Oakland, Langeliers was one of the center pieces of the five-player March trade that sent slugging first baseman Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves. Langeliers, 24, is a former No. 9 overall pick out of Baylor, and this season he's authored a batting line of .283/.366/.510 with 19 home runs and 19 doubles in 92 games for Triple-A Las Vegas. He's also regarded as a skilled defender. 

Earlier this season, MLB.com named Langeliers as the No. 32 overall prospect in their updated rankings, and he profiles as an above-average, dual-threat catcher at the top level. Langeliers in July was named MVP of the Futures Game during All-Star weekend in Los Angeles. 

The A's have selected Shea Langeliers and recalled David MacKinnon from Las Vegas. The A's also placed Ramón Laureano on the injured list and released Stephen Piscotty.

— Oakland A's Communications (@AthleticsPR) August 16, 2022

His near-term outlook in Oakland is complicated by the fact that the A's still have a very good catcher, Sean Murphy, on the active roster. As such, Langeliers will likely function as Murphy's backup while also seeing occasional DH duty and being a pinch-hitter of first resort. All of that could serve as a soft landing in the majors and lay a foundation for 2023 and beyond. 

Murphy isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2025 season, and the A's, who are very much in self-destruct rebuild mode, could shop him over the offseason. That would clear the decks for Langeliers to become the primary catcher.