LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers bolstered their organizational outfield depth by acquiring speedy center fielder Alek Thomas from the D-backs on Tuesday morning.
In exchange, Arizona received 17-year-old outfield prospect Jose Requena, who was part of L.A.'s most recent international signing class and has yet to make his professional debut. In order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Thomas, the Dodgers designated for assignment outfielder Michael Siani, who started the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
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 his time in the organization began with him being optioned to the Arizona Complex League. He's likely to join Oklahoma City afterward.
The outfield is the strength of L.A.'s farm system, but the Dodgers lacked center-field depth on the 40-man roster. Andy Pages is holding down the position at the big league level, and this move gives the team some insurance should anything happen to him.
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 spot 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.
"It's part of the game, and I think Alek understands that, but it's hard to say goodbye to him and his wife, Kailey," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "They're great people. We've known them. We've watched them grow up. We watch them get engaged and get married, and when you have to say goodbye to them that's painful. So I told him it hurt as much for me as it did, probably, for him."