The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired a former top prospect of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who once ranked ahead of two-time All-Star Corbin Carroll.
Outfielder Alek Thomas is heading to the Dodgers, reports Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors. It’ll be outfielder Jose Requena heading back to the Diamondbacks, per Francys Romero of Beisbol FR.
The Dodgers acquisition comes after Thomas was designated for assignment last week. Arizona needed a roster spot for prospect Ryan Waldschmidt. The 26-year-old Thomas has hit just .181 in 100 plate appearances this season. He’s popped two home runs and stolen four bases. Thomas has earned regular playing time in each of the past four seasons, but has failed to reach even league-average production at the plate.
Los Angeles Dodgers Trade For Alek Thomas in Intradivision Swap With the Arizona Diamondbacks
GettyPHOENIX, ARIZONA – MAY 05: Alek Thomas #5 of the Arizona Diamondbacks scores on a single by Ketel Marte #4 ahead of the tag by Joey Bart #14 of the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at Chase Field on May 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Diamondbacks won 9-0. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Arizona selected Thomas in the second round of the 2018 draft. The speedy outfielder performed well at just about every minor league stop, zooming through the Diamondbacks’ system. MLB Pipeline ranked Thomas as the club’s top prospect heading into 2022, ahead of Carroll, Jordan Lawlar, and Geraldo Perdomo.
Thomas made his debut in 2022. He slashed .231/.275/.344 in his first taste of the majors. The outfielder walked at a decent clip in the minors, but earned free passes at just a 5.4% rate as a rookie. Carroll came up in 2023 and quickly took the spotlight from Thomas. With 25 home runs and 54 stolen bases, Carroll cruised to a unanimous National League Rookie of the Year selection. Thomas also put together his best power/speed season to date, but it amounted to nine home runs and the same number of swipes.
A hamstring strain cost Thomas three months in 2024. He returned in July that year. Poor performance saw him head right back to the minors. Arizona gave him his longest look in 2025. Thomas played a career-high 143 games. He managed an 81 wRC+ as the everyday center fielder. It’s his best mark as a big leaguer so far, but it wasn’t enough to maintain a regular gig.
Thomas Brings a Solid Glove to the Dodgers
The best skill for Thomas at the MLB level has been his glove. The center fielder has posted +6 Defensive Runs Saved across 3383.2 innings in the majors. Statcast graded him as 13 Outs Above Average during his time with the Diamondbacks. He was already at +2 Run Value in 28 games this season.
Los Angeles entered 2026 with questions in center field. Andy Pages rated well in the corners, but came into this year with a career -9 DRS in center. He’s flipped that in 2026, piling up +8 DRS in six weeks. Kyle Tucker is locked into right field, but perhaps Thomas can push Pages back to left field and contribute up the middle. Veteran Teoscar Hernandez has a career -13 DRS as a left fielder, and his bat isn’t carrying him these days.
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