It looked like the Trade Deadline was over for the Philadelphia Phillies. Then, in the 11th hour, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made one more move.
According to Jayson Stark of The Athletic, the Phillies sent right-handed pitcher Seth Johnson to the Athletics. In exchange, the A’s sent outfielder and former top prospect Colby Thomas back to Philadelphia.
This was a minor league trade. Despite having MLB experience, Thomas was sent to Triple-A at the end of July.
Stark noted that while that deal came together, the Phillies weren’t able to find another starting pitcher or relief pitcher. Instead, Dombrowski ran out of time.
What to Know About New Philadelphia Phillies Outfielder Colby Thomas
GettyColby Thomas playing with the Athletics
The Philadelphia Phillies added an interesting outfielder in Colby Thomas. As recently as 2025, he was the No. 3 prospect in the Athletics’ system, trailing Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz before all three were able to graduate to the majors.
While Wilson and Kurtz have played very well in the majors, Thomas has struggled. In 104 games over two seasons and 253 at-bats, he has a career .214 batting average. He also has a career .252 OBP, .376 slugging percentage, and .628 OPS. So, the Phillies are hoping he benefits from a change of scenery. At 25 years old, he’ll need to figure it out relatively quickly.
Notably, in Triple-A, Thomas hit .309 with a .971 OPS last year. Those are hitter-friendly conditions, but are also why he was such a highly regarded prospect.
MLB.com also shared a scouting report on Thomas. In it, it’s noted that a torn labrum slowed him down before he quickly rose through the A’s farm system.
“Thomas’ raw power that scouts raved about during his college days has translated to the professional ranks. His compact swing allows him to drive the ball to all fields with some serious force. His selectivity at the plate has improved some as he has shown capable of working counts and drawing a decent amount of walks, though the A’s would still like to see him cut down the swing-and-miss and chase a little bit more,” the scouting report read.
“While some outsiders rate his arm slightly below average, the A’s view Thomas as a plus defender with a good arm that can play all three outfield spots, though he has played mostly the corners throughout his Minor League career and profiles as such at the highest level. His good speed allows him to cover plenty of ground, as well as pose a real threat on the basepaths. Seemingly on the precipice of his first Major League callup, all that is really left to do for him is bide his time until an outfield need arises.”
Thomas may not make an immediate impact for the Phillies. However, he does potentially fill a long-term need in the outfield. Even better, he is a much needed right-handed bat.
The Phillies at the Trade Deadline
GettyThe Philly Phanatic
Heading into the Trade Deadline, Phillies star Bryce Harper made it clear. They “need some help,” and it’s debatable whether or not that help came.
The most notable add ended up being Luis Arraez. A contact hitter, he’s going to slot in at second base, forcing a complete remodel of the Phillies infield. That’s despite not making any moves. In that remodel of the infield, Harper is going to be moved to the outfield, which should hopefully address some of those outfield woes while bringing in a competent hitter to the infield.
On top of that, the Phillies brought in Caleb Kilian and Brooks Raley. That should boost a bullpen that has struggled this season. Add in Thomas, and there’s a vision for the future there.
Still, Dave Dombrowski is going to also be criticized for what they didn’t do. They didn’t bring in another starting pitcher. They didn’t add more to the bullpen. Perhaps most importantly, they didn’t find a right-handed bat.
Phillies Make Trade With A’s at the Deadline for Former Top Outfield Prospect