The Dodgers sign Alek Thomas

Just last week, the Arizona Diamondbacks called up their top prospect, Ryan Waldschmidt.

But rather than sending outfielder Alek Thomas to the minor leagues as a corresponding roster move, the Diamondbacks chose to designate Alek Thomas for assignment. The 26-year-old still had one option remaining and could have been sent down to Triple-A without issue.

General Manager Mike Hazen explained at the time that the move was intended to bring more discipline to the plate in the lineup and indicated that he was trying to make a trade and that several teams had called.

One of them was certainly the Los Angeles Dodgers, as they have now acquired the outfielder, according to a report by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors.

The Dodgers are acquiring Alek Thomas from the Diamondbacks, per source. @Adams_Steve of @mlbtraderumors was on it.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) May 12, 2026

In return, the DBacks acquired the services of Jose Requena, a 17-year-old Venezuelan prospect. He is a right-handed hitter who stands 6'3″ and weighs 220 pounds, possessing a powerful arm on the defensive side of the ball.

It's somewhat surprising that Thomas was traded to a division rival—the Dodgers, no less—a team with a solid reputation for getting the most out of the players they acquire.

True, Thomas was batting just .181 with three walks and 23 strikeouts in his first 100 plate appearances. But the fact remains that he was selected in the second round of the 2018 draft and quickly rose through the ranks of the prospects.

And he could reignite his career under the hot California sun, boasting a career batting average of .233 with an OPS of .634, as he joins a winning organization aiming for the playoffs.

Thomas could come back to haunt the Diamondbacks in the four-game series set to take place at Chase Field in Arizona from June 1 to 4. But for that to happen, he'll need to be called up, as he's headed to the minors for now.

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