In a somewhat surprising move on Friday, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ fifth-year centerfielder Alek Thomas was designated for assignment. That didn’t last long, as the Diamondbacks traded Thomas to their National League West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, on Tuesday, May 12, per the Diamondbacks’ official X account.
We have made the following trade: pic.twitter.com/kWiTYgQ11T
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 12, 2026
In return, the Diamondbacks are receiving Jose Requena. Requena, 17, is a 6’3″ right-handed hitter from Venezuela. Thomas was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the second round of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft out of Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, Illinois. Thomas is due $1.9 million this season and is under contract until 2029, per Spotrac. On the field, Thomas has struggled offensively this season.
Hitting well below the Mendoza line at .181 with an awful .340 SLG and .563 OPS. But Thomas is a career .230 hitter and has a career OPS of .634. His best offensive season came last year when he hit .249 with nine home runs and 38 RBI in 143 games. He does, however, bring solid defense in center field to the table with a ceiling of elite defense. In 2022-23, he finished with a stellar combined 12 outs above average, per Statcast. He failed to replicate that level of defense in the last two seasons. But is off to a solid start this year with two outs above average. His weakness defensively is below-average arm strength.
Thomas Adds Depth to the Dodgers
The Dodgers aren’t a team in need, hoping that they strike gold and Thomas figures it out offensively. Andy Pages has been elite offensively and defensively as the everyday center fielder for the Dodgers. Leading the Dodgers in batting average (.325), RBI (35), hits (49), and WAR (2.7). His 94.0 Arm Strength is in the top two percent of the MLB, per Statcast. Additionally, Pages has started 40 of the Dodgers’ 41 games in centerfield this season for LA. Outside of a sparse few games at DH, Thomas has played every game of his career defensively in center field. Unless the Dodgers try him out at a different position, there is no wiggle room for immediate playing time for Thomas.
But again, that’s not why the Dodgers did this. They’re 24-17 with one of if not the best roster in baseball and are currently second in the NL West, right behind the San Diego Padres. They did this to buy upside on a 26-year-old center fielder from a division rival. Thomas could begin in Triple-A Oklahoma City once he arrives with the Dodgers’ organization and no one will blink an eye.
But this is what teams at the top of leagues do. There’s no risk involved here for the Dodgers and plenty of upside. Don’t be surprised if an injury happens to the Dodgers and Thomas emerges for them in the second half as a breakout player who was quietly acquired from Arizona on a random day in May. Much like the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Dodgers are already a full-blown machine. That just keeps quietly adding depth pieces along the way who are ready to step in and perform when called upon. Will Thomas fit that role for LA when September rolls around? Only time will tell.
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