The Arizona Diamondbacks designated Alek Thomas for assignment on May 8. Thomas was deemed expendable when the club promoted top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt ahead of their series win against the New York Mets.
Just four days after being DFA’d, Thomas has a new team. Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors reports that the Diamondbacks have traded the outfielder to the Los Angeles Dodgers. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand adds that Arizona is receiving outfielder Jose Requena in the deal.
The trade officially closes the book on Thomas’ career in Arizona. The 26-year-old authored one of the greatest postseason moments in franchise history in 2023.
His pinch-hit home run against Philadelphia Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel in Game 4 turned the tide of the 2023 National League Championship Series. Arizona was down 2-1 in the series and down 5-3 in the game before Thomas blasted a Kimbrel fastball into the Chase Field pool to tie it.
Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, the young outfielder could not build on his signature moment, and the club ran out of patience that he’ll hit.
Recapping Alek Thomas’ Tenure with the Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks drafted Thomas with their second-round pick in the 2018 Draft. The outfielder signed a $1.2 million bonus to forego a commitment to Texas Christian University. Thomas quickly ascended Arizona’s system and was a consensus Top 50 prospect when he was called up in May 2022.
However, the outfielder’s bat has not produced. Despite ample opportunities to lock down the center field job long-term, Thomas owns a career .230/.273/.361 slash in 1,485 plate appearances. Ultimately, a 73 career wRC+ overshadowed his solid defensive work at a premium position, resulting in a career fWAR of 1.4.
Thomas reworked his swing ahead of the 2026 season, replacing his long leg kick with a much shorter one. The changes didn’t show up fast enough in his bottom-line numbers, as he slashed .181/.222/.340 in 100 plate appearances, with 23 strikeouts and only three walks.
The expected metrics from Statcast, which account for Thomas’ batted ball data, did not offer much relief. The left-handed-hitting outfielder produced a .235 xBA, .397 xSLG, and a .292 xwOBA. His xwOBA ranked in the 24th percentile, despite a slight improvement in quality of contact metrics compared to past seasons.
With not much indication that Thomas would be a reliable offensive contributor, the club turned to Waldschmidt instead to be their primary center fielder.
Who is Jose Requena?
Requena is a 17-year-old outfielder from Venezuela who is part of the Dodgers’ 2026 international free agent class. He is listed at 6’3″ and 228 lbs. and hits right-handed. At the time of trade, Requena was not on any prospect lists.
The Diamondbacks have assigned Requena to their DSL Diamondbacks Red squad in the Dominican Summer League. He will make his professional debut when that league begins play on June 1.
Arizona does not carry a strong farm system, especially in the outfield. Their top prospects at the position in the minors include former first-rounders Druw Jones and Slade Caldwell. Neither player is hitting well to begin 2026, with Jones posting a 55 wRC+ with Double-A Amarillo and Caldwell a 94 wRC+ for High-A Hillsboro.
With Requena just embarking on his pro career, it’s going to be years before the Diamondbacks know what they have in him.
Diamondbacks Trade Postseason Hero to Division Rival