Dodgers Make Trade, Acquire Outfielder From NL West Rivals

The Dodgers have acquired longtime Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas in a trade Tuesday, according to multiple reports. Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors was first to report the deal.

Source: #Dbacks have traded OF Alek Thomas to the #Dodgers. Thomas was DFA last week.
— Steve Adams (@Adams_Steve) May 12, 2026

Thomas, 26, was designated for assignment by the Dbacks after getting off to a slow start to the 2026 season. In 28 games he's hitting .181 with two home runs and 10 RBIs.

On May 11, the Dodgers designated outfielder Michael Siani for assignment — the corresponding roster move, in effect, coming before the acquisition itself. According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, the Dodgers will send minor league outfielder Jose Requena to the Dbacks.

Can confirm this deal. The Diamondbacks are receiving low-level OF Jose Requena in return. Dodgers are taking on what's left ($1.45M) of Thomas' contract. https://t.co/xd4laYMmMQ
— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) May 12, 2026

Thomas can fill the defensive-minded center field role the Dodgers had in mind for Siani when they claimed him off waivers from the New York Yankees earlier this year.

Thomas is a career .230/.273/.361 hitting in five MLB seasons, all with Arizona.

A second-round draft pick out of high school in 2018 by the Diamondbacks, Thomas quickly rose the prospect ranks. He was a consensus Top-100 prospect prior to the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was selected to play in the Futures Game in 2019 and 2021.

Thomas' physical tools are undeniable. As a rookie in 2022, he was an elite runner (29.3 ft/sec sprint speed) and fielder. He flashed plus range, arm strength, and accuracy from center field at age 22.

Some of those physical tools have declined, as is often the case as a player ages and injuries accumulate. Thomas missed three months in 2024 with a hamstring strain, but has otherwise been able to play through his ailments.

More than his declining baserunning speed and fielding range, Thomas' bat punched his ticket out of the desert.

Thomas' glove allowed him to be a 1-WAR player in 2022 and 2023, even while carrying a .633 OPS (74 OPS+) across his first two seasons. The bat never came around.

After the injury-shortened 2024 season, Thomas posted a career-high .659 OPS (82 OPS+) in 143 games in 2025. He changed his swing coming into the 2026 season, eliminating his leg kick.

Thomas got off to a hot start in spring training, which carried over into his first several games playing in the World Baseball Classic with Team Mexico. His average exit velocity in spring was 93.3 mph off the bat.

Either the changes didn't take, or it proved to be a small sample of plate appearances. Since the calendar turned to the regular season, Thomas' exit velo has averaged 89.9 mph.

Requena, 17, signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in January but hasn't yet appeared in a professional game.

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