When the Diamondbacks designated outfielder Alek Thomas for assignment last Friday, it signaled a surprising turn for a player who became a fan favorite with his excellent play during the team's run to the 2023 World Series. Today that tenure came to an end as Thomas is headed to the Dodgers in a trade that will send minor leaguer outfielder Jose Requena to Arizona.
Thomas's demotion was a result of the Diamondbacks calling up their top prospect in Ryan Waldschmidt. The move came after a disasterous start to the season for Thomas, who is hitting .181 in 100 plate appearances and carries a .222 on-base percentage. It's a far cry from the promise he showed a few years ago when he served as a key cog in Torey Lovullo's pennant-winning unit. In 17 playoff games Thomas blasted four clutch home runs and posted a .734 OPS during that postseason.
