Lincoln Zdunich
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been a juggernaut for many years now. They’ve won back-to-back World Series titles, and are in contention for a third. They would be the first National League team in history to do so. That’s due, in large part, to a roster that doesn’t have very many weak links. Sure, the bullpen isn’t always terrific, but it’s often pretty solid. Yet one area has remained a concern in recent years: the outfield.
That isn’t to say their outfield is bad — far from it. The Dodgers addressed most of their problems by signing top free agent Kyle Tucker this offseason. It was a massive addition that significantly improved their outfield group. But behind Tucker and a surging Andy Pages, there isn’t much certainty.
Sure, Teoscar Hernández can slug from time to time, but his age has started to show. Behind him are more unproven commodities like Alex Call and Hyeseong Kim, both of whom have struggled to produce consistently at the big-league level.
Trading for Young Talent
Enter Alek Thomas. The 26-year-old center fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks was recently designated for assignment to make room for top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt. He’s gotten off to a good start and now seems likely to permanently supplant Thomas in the outfield.
Tuesday morning, the Dodgers traded for Alek Thomas, giving up prospect Jose Requena to Arizona. In a corresponding move, the Dodgers DFA’d outfielder Michael Siani to make room for Thomas on the 40-man roster. Requena was signed by Los Angeles in last year’s international signing class. He’s yet to make his professional debut.
It’s a move that immediately improves the Dodgers’ outfield depth in a number of ways. For one, Thomas is under club control through 2028. That means Los Angeles can keep him for a relatively low cost over the next two-and-a-half years. To get an elite defensive glove alongside a solid — and potentially much better — bat for that price is worthwhile.
Thomas has shown signs of an offensive breakout. In 2025, he posted a career-high .249/.289/.370 slash line with a respectable .659 OPS. Those marks were much better than his typical ones, hinting at a step forward in 2026. But it hasn’t happened that way. Instead, Thomas is off to the worst start in his career, batting .181 through 28 games this season. He’ll serve as depth in Triple-A for the Dodgers. Behind Andy Pages, Los Angeles lacked a true backup option in center field. Thomas can fill that role should anything happen to Pages.
