The Los Angeles Dodgers must feel good about the potential of Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas. The Dodgers acquired Thomas in a trade Tuesday, just days after the former top prospect was designated for assignment by Arizona.
Thomas, 26, is off to a rough start this season, slashing .181/.222/.340 in 100 plate appearances.
With Thomas struggling, the Diamondbacks decided to cut bait with the outfielder Saturday after calling up current top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt.
Despite Thomas’ struggles, the Dodgers will take a shot on his potential. Thus far in his major-league career, the outfielder hasn’t developed as expected since appearing on top-100 prospect lists as a minor leaguer.
Coming into the 2022 MLB season, Thomas ranked as high as the No. 18th prospect in the game, per MLB.com. He sat just behind Corbin Carroll on the Diamondbacks’ team prospect list.
Thomas made his debut that season and struggled as a hitter, putting up a .231/.275/.344 slash line. He showed promise as a defender, however, putting up strong numbers in centerfield.
Despite his continued struggles at the plate — in five seasons in the majors Thomas has a .230/.273/.361 slash line — he’s continued to shine defensively. That’s reportedly one of the main reasons the Dodgers wanted to bring in Thomas.
Getting Thomas back on track offensively will be a bigger task, but the Dodgers are among the better organizations when it comes to player development. Their magic doesn’t work on every player, as Esteury Ruiz continued to struggle at the plate after the team acquired him late last season, but it’s possible the Dodgers see more to unlock with Thomas, who received strong prospect grades as a hitter in the minors.
In exchange for Thomas, Los Angeles will give up outfielder Jose Requena. The 17-year-old Requena signed with the Dodgers in January, and he has yet to make his professional debut. Given his age and lack of experience, it will take many years of development before Requena reaches his full potential.
