Dave Roberts Explains Alek Thomas’ Role After Dodgers–DBacks Trade
Dave Roberts outlines Alek Thomas’ role and development plan after the Dodgers’ trade for a defense-first speedster.
LOS ANGELES, CA—Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a rare inter-divisional trade with their rivals in the desert, the Arizona Diamondbacks, acquiring speedy outfielder Alek Thomas.
Thomas, 26, despite a decent start to his Major League career, was DFA’d by Arizona last week after his atrocious start to the 2026 season, where he hit just .181 with two home runs and four steals across 28 games.
At the Major League level, the Dodgers outfield is all but set, particularly in center field, with that job being handled by third-year pro, Andy Pages, who has arguably been the Dodgers' best position player this season.
That prompted Los Angeles to exercise its minor league option on Thomas, sending him to the ACL Dodgers, as the team hopes to develop the once-young star back to full strength.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts highlighted Thomas’s defense, along with the ability to have more to unlock as a hitter, and hopefully, Los Angeles is the place to do that.
“Really good defender. Really, really good kid, I like the way he plays. We’ve seen him a lot, obviously, from the other side. Not sure what our plans are for him. I know that he has some options.
“So our expectation is that we get him in the organization, do a deep dive on his swing and try to figure out if there’s some things that we can unlock. And then, if the opportunity presents itself to get him up here. But we’ve always liked him and thought very well of him.”
While the Dodgers work to fine-tune Alek Thomas’ swing, the bigger concern lies in his overall approach at the plate. The left-hander currently has a 42.5% chase rate, which sits in the fourth percentile, a glaring indicator of his struggles with plate discipline.
Even so, the former second-round pick has plenty of qualities that make him a worthwhile project. Thomas is a speedy, Gold Glove–caliber defender in center field—exactly the type of athletic outfielder the Dodgers can maximize if they can unlock even league-average offensive production.
There’s reason to believe that’s possible. Thomas is coming off his best season, posting a .249/.289/.370 slash line with an 81 wRC+, showing glimpses of the player he could become with a refined offensive approach.