Thomas trade provides Hazen, D-backs 'flexibility' for Deadline

ARLINGTON -- The Diamondbacks on Tuesday traded outfielder Alek Thomas to the Dodgers in exchange for 17-year-old outfield prospect Jose Requena, in a move that could benefit Arizona even if Requena doesn't end up playing in the big leagues.

While trades among division rivals are not common, the Dodgers were the only team that was willing to pick up Thomas' entire contract -- which had about $1.45 million left on it for this year -- and give the D-backs a player.

Requena was part of L.A.'s most recent international signing class and has yet to make his professional debut.

"We had seen him as an amateur player," Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said. "He's gonna start in the Dominican Summer League. He's got some pop. He's a right fielder. We think he's gonna have a chance to hit."

Thomas, 26, was designated for assignment last Friday when the D-backs called up top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt. He could eventually serve as another left-handed bat or pinch-run option off the bench for the Dodgers, but Thomas' time in the organization began with him being optioned to the Arizona Complex League. He's likely to join Triple-A Oklahoma City afterward.

Hazen said that in situations involving a DFA’d player, a lot of times the best chance for a team to get someone that could be a prospect in return is to go further down the Minor League ladder.

In addition, the financial savings could pay dividends in a couple months at the Trade Deadline.

That's because the Diamondbacks are getting close to the first Competitive Balance Tax threshold. They are around $5-$10 million away from that threshold, and if they want to make significant acquisitions at the Deadline, they'll need some financial flexibility unless they are willing to go over the CBT for the first time in franchise history.

Hazen said that it would be up to managing general partner Ken Kendrick and team president/CEO Derrick Hall about whether the team would exceed the threshold and Hazen doesn't want to put the team in a position where it has to count on doing that.

"I don't know what it's going to look like when we get to the Trade Deadline," Hazen said. "I haven't talked to Ken and Derrick about their willingness to go over the CBT, but that can become a barrier, I'm assuming. It's the first time I've ever been kind of around it, and I just want to make sure that we maximize our financial flexibility leading up to the Deadline."

That doesn't mean that finances were the sole motivating factor, but once the team decided to move on from Thomas it played a big role in where he wound up.

A second-round pick of the Diamondbacks in the 2018 Draft, Thomas hit .230 with 31 homers and a .634 OPS in parts of five seasons with Arizona. In 28 games this year, he hit .181 with two homers and four steals.

Thomas will always hold a special place in D-backs lore thanks to his performance in their run to the World Series in 2023. Thomas' two-run, game-tying home run off Phillies reliever Craig Kimbrel in Game 4 of the NLCS paved the way for Arizona's comeback win on its way to a seven-game triumph.

Maybe Requena beats the odds and becomes a big leaguer and maybe he doesn't. In the meantime, Hazen will continue to try and keep as many options open for the Trade Deadline as possible. As he has said many times in the past, ownership has always been willing to expand the budget when there's been a chance to win, but Hazen doesn't want to put it all on that.

"The more [financial] space that you create, the more aggressive you can be, the more players you can add, theoretically," Hazen said. "Again, depending on what Ken and Derrick decide to do, we could go over the CBT, if greenlit. I'm just saying that. I don't really want that to be the only avenue I have available."