Los Angeles Dodgers Acquire Gold Glove Outfielder Alek Thomas From Arizona Diamondbacks in Surprise NL West Trade
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The Los Angeles Dodgers made one of the most high-profile moves of the 2024 MLB trade deadline on Tuesday, acquiring 24-year-old center fielder Alek Thomas from division rival the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for top left-handed pitching prospect Ronan Kopp and the 2025 Competitive Balance Round B draft pick. The cross-divisional trade, a rare move between two NL West opponents that have faced off in consecutive postseasons, immediately bolsters the Dodgers’ outfield depth and solidifies their status as favorites to win the National League pennant.
Thomas, a left-handed hitter who debuted with the Diamondbacks in 2022, has emerged as one of the most dynamic young outfielders in the league over the past two seasons. He posted a .268/.331/.452 slash line with 12 home runs, 47 runs batted in and 22 stolen bases through 98 games in 2024, and earned a Gold Glove nomination in 2023 for his elite range and 99.2% fielding percentage in center field. He gained widespread notoriety among Dodgers fans during the 2023 NLDS, when he hit three home runs against Los Angeles pitching and posted a 1.289 OPS across the three-game series.
For the Dodgers, the addition of Thomas fills a critical gap in their lineup that opened up when starting center fielder James Outman suffered a oblique strain in mid-July, and provides long-term stability at the position with Thomas under team control through the 2029 season. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman noted in a press conference following the trade announcement that the team has tracked Thomas’ development since his amateur career, and that his combination of defensive skill, speed and contact hitting fits perfectly with the franchise’s playing style. The move also gives the Dodgers flexibility to move Mookie Betts between right field and second base for the remainder of the season as they adjust their lineup for a deep postseason run.
For the Diamondbacks, who sit 18 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West standings and hold a 47-54 record on the season, the trade represents a clear shift toward long-term rebuild. Kopp, a 21-year-old left-hander with a 2.81 ERA in Double-A this season, is viewed as a potential front-of-the-rotation starter, while the additional draft pick gives the franchise more flexibility to sign young talent in upcoming amateur drafts. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen confirmed that the team plans to promote top outfield prospect Druw Jones to the major league roster by the end of the 2024 season to fill the gap left by Thomas’ departure.
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As a lifelong Dodgers fan, I’m absolutely blown away by this trade. Alek Thomas absolutely torched us in last year’s playoffs, and now he’s going to be patrolling center field at Dodger Stadium for the next five years? His defense alone is going to save us at least 3 or 4 extra runs a month, and his left-handed bat is the perfect complement to our right-heavy lineup. This has to make us the clear World Series favorite.
As a Diamondbacks season ticket holder, this is such a slap in the face. Thomas was one of the only exciting, homegrown players we had on the roster, and we just shipped him to our biggest division rival for a prospect who might not even make the big leagues and a random draft pick? Our ownership is clearly more interested in cutting costs than putting a winning team on the field, I’m canceling my tickets for next season.
As an MLB analyst, this is one of the most lopsided trades I’ve seen at a deadline in years. The Dodgers gave up almost no major league-ready talent for a 24-year-old, controllable Gold Glove caliber outfielder who already has proven postseason experience against NL pitching. This move doesn’t just make the Dodgers better this year, it locks down their outfield for the rest of the decade. The Diamondbacks are going to regret this one for a long time.
Wait, I remember Alek Thomas saying in an interview a few years ago that he grew up a Dodgers fan? This is such a full circle moment for him. He’s going to be a fan favorite in LA immediately, I can already picture the home run celebrations he’s going to have with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman this October.