Royals pick up pair of pitching prospects for Thomas, Falter

DENVER -- The Royals traded outfielder Lane Thomas and left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter to the Braves in exchange for right-hander Lucas Braun (formerly Atlanta’s No. 8 prospect and now the Royals' No. 11, per MLB Pipeline) and left-hander Carter Holton.

Thomas started Saturday night’s game against the Rockies at Coors Field in center field, but he came out of the contest prior to the bottom of the fourth inning and was seen getting hugs from teammates in the dugout.

The Royals signed Thomas to a one-year, $5.25 million deal this past offseason to serve as a versatile outfield option, but after injuries and underperformance led to a 46-65 record entering play on Saturday, Kansas City found itself in a position to potentially be a seller prior to Monday’s Trade Deadline.

Thomas, who turns 31 later this month, went 1-for-2 with a single on Saturday and has a .232/.326/.393 slash line with 10 home runs this season, his eighth in the Majors.

After a slow start at the plate -- Thomas hit .225/.354/.308 with two homers over 147 plate appearances through June 7 -- he got an everyday opportunity and made the most of it when starting center fielder Kyle Isbel went on the injured list. From June 10-July 20, Thomas posted a .262/.331/.524 slash line with seven homers.

The Royals designated Falter for assignment on May 27 after he posted a 13.97 ERA over five appearances (two starts) and dealt with left elbow inflammation. After he cleared waivers, the 29-year-old was sent to Triple-A Omaha, where he posted a 3.56 ERA over 17 appearances (seven starts).

Braun, who turns 25 on Aug. 26, was a sixth-round Draft pick for the Braves in 2023 out of Cal State Northridge. He quickly proved to be an effective and durable starting pitcher in the Minor Leagues, reaching Double-A in his first full season (2024) and racking up the fourth-most innings pitched in the Minors (293 1/3) from 2024-25.

In 19 appearances (17 starts) this season for Double-A Columbus and Triple-A Gwinnett, Braun pitched to a 3.53 ERA. His arsenal features a wide assortment of pitches, including a four-seam fastball with armside run that sits around 92 mph, a two-seamer, a cutter, a slider, a curveball and a changeup. While he doesn’t have plus raw stuff, he’s proven to be a strike-thrower, which has led to success in the upper Minors.

The Braves selected Holton in the second round of the 2024 Draft out of Vanderbilt. The 23-year-old southpaw underwent Tommy John surgery later that year and missed the ’25 campaign. In 10 appearances (eight starts) between the Florida Complex League and Single-A this season, Holton posted a 4.32 ERA over 41 2/3 innings.