The Arizona Diamondbacks did not have to trade fan-favorite outfielder Alek Thomas to the Los Angeles Dodgers, risking the danger of seeing a former high-ranked prospect excel for their most dangerous division rival.
But after Arizona opted to DFA Thomas, clearing room for No. 1 prospect Ryan Waldschmidt to make his major league debut, GM Mike Hazen took an opportunity to grab as much value as possible.
The Dodgers were interested, and sent outfield prospect Jose Requena over to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Thomas.
So, how exactly did this trade pan out for both teams? Did the D-backs doom themselves to be tormented by their former player in Dodger blue?
Diamondbacks' Alek Thomas trade with Dodgers has no clear winner
Thomas came into 2026 with aspirations of an offensive breakout. Some adjustments and a strong camp led many to understandably believe that would happen. It did not.
The center fielder did get unlucky on some well-struck balls early in the year, but his numbers remained well below average as a Diamondback. He hit just .181 and posted a .562 OPS in 100 plate appearances with Arizona.
Once the deal took place, Thomas was sent to Los Angeles' minor league system. For Triple-A Oklahoma City, he had success, posting a .305/.378/.537 slash and .915 OPS in the offense-heavy Pacific Coast League — as he often did for Arizona's Triple-A Reno.
Thomas remained in Triple-A for most of his half-season in LA. He did make seven appearances in the big leagues, but only managed a .211 average and .511 OPS in that small sample size.
His defensive effort sat slightly above average for the full season at +2 Defensive Runs Saved and +2 Fielding Run Value.
Thomas' glove did not play to the elite level at which he has manned center field in the past, but it was of solid quality. It just wasn't enough to earn a larger role with an already-stacked Dodger lineup. He was later DFA'd by the Dodgers, but cleared waivers and returned to their organization.
As far as Requena is concerned, the 6-foot-3, 228-pound 17-year-old from Venezuela does have the frame and potential to turn into a hidden gem of the D-backs' farm system, but he's not that yet.
For his first taste of pro baseball in Arizona's Dominican Summer League, Requena hit just .161 for a .560 OPS in 111 plate appearances. Obviously, there are many years of development left before he could prove Hazen's trade to be well worthwhile, but he did not provide immediate value.
With Thomas out of the picture, Waldschmidt, Tommy Troy and Jordan Lawlar played a large share of center field to mixed results. Lawlar's .779 OPS in just 44 games was, by far, the most productive of those three.
In other words, no one looks like a winner in this deal, so far. Thomas could become a major league regular
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