Dodgers Acquire Alek Thomas from Diamondbacks

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired center fielder Alek Thomas from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday in a minor trade, sending 17-year-old outfield prospect Jose Requena to Arizona in exchange. Both teams announced the deal, with Thomas not expected to join the Dodgers' major league roster immediately.

Thomas, a 26-year-old with five seasons of big-league experience, had been designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks last week after batting .181 with two home runs and 10 RBIs early this season. The Dodgers designated outfielder Michael Siani for assignment Tuesday to clear a spot on their full 40-man roster. Los Angeles will assume approximately $1.4 million of Thomas's $1.9625 million arbitration salary for the year.

A career .230 hitter over 448 games with Arizona since his 2022 debut, Thomas has 31 home runs, 143 RBIs and 28 stolen bases. Selected by the Diamondbacks in the second round of the 2018 amateur draft, he showed defensive prowess in center field and above-average speed, earning praise as a plus defender. Those skills stood out during Arizona's 2023 World Series run, when Thomas hit four postseason home runs, including a two-run shot that tied Game 4 of the...