The Los Angeles Dodgers have been a juggernaut for several years now. They have won consecutive World Series titles and are in the running for their third title. They will be the first National League team in history to do so. This is largely due to a roster that doesn’t have too many weak links. Sure, the bullpen isn’t always spectacular, but it’s often pretty solid. Yet one area has remained a point of concern in recent years: the outfield.
That doesn’t mean their outfield is bad – far from it. The Dodgers solved most of their problems this offseason by signing top free agent Kyle Tucker. This was a huge achievement which led to a significant improvement in their outfield group. But there isn’t much certainty behind Tucker and up-and-comer Andy Paige.
Sure, Teoscar Hernandez may slip from time to time, but his age is starting to show. Behind him are unproven commodities like Alex Call and Hyesong Kim, both of whom have struggled to produce consistently at the big league level.
business for young talents
Enter Alec 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 has made a good start and now looks like he could permanently replace Thomas in the outfield.
On Tuesday morning, the Dodgers traded for Alec Thomas, reducing the possibility of Jose Requena to Arizona. In the same move, the Dodgers DFA optioned 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 has not yet made his professional debut.
This is a move that immediately improves the Dodgers’ outfield depth in several ways. For one, Thomas is in control of the club until 2028. That means Los Angeles can keep him at a relatively low price over the next two and a half years. It’s worthwhile to get a typical defensive glove with a solid – and potentially much better – bat at that price.
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 numbers were much better than his usual numbers, indicating a step forward in 2026. But this has not happened. Instead, Thomas is off to the worst start of his career, batting .181 in 28 games this season. He will serve as depth in Triple-A for the Dodgers. Behind Andy Paige, Los Angeles lacked a true backup option in center field. Thomas could fill that role if anything happens with Paige.
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