The Cleveland Guardians acquired outfielder Lane Thomas from the Washington Nationals on Monday. Cleveland made a corresponding move on Tuesday, as outfielder Will Brennan was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Thomas on the big league roster, per Mandy Bell of MLB.com. Bell also reports that Thomas will bat second in the lineup and play right field on Tuesday.
The Guardians had been quiet ahead of the MLB trade deadline before making the Thomas acquisition. Cleveland could still use pitching help. The team has produced respectable offensive numbers. Cleveland will benefit from the added outfield help, though.
Steven Kwan has enjoyed an MVP-caliber campaign. Aside from Kwan, however, the Guardians' outfield had uncertainty. Thomas is a reliable option who will give the lineup a boost.
What Lane Thomas brings to Guardians
Lane Thomas made his MLB debut in 2019 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was moved to Washington in 2021. Thomas did not play a full big league season until 2022.
He displayed signs of promise during the 2022 campaign, hitting 17 home runs. The Nationals still were not sure exactly what his ceiling was at the time. In 2023, Thomas had a breakout performance.
The outfielder recorded a career-high .783 OPS and crushed 28 home runs to go along with 20 stolen bases. He added 36 doubles and 101 runs scored. Thomas did not make the All-Star team, but he established himself as one of the better outfielders in the league.
Thomas was mentioned in trade rumors last season. A deal failed to come to fruition, though. The Nationals have endured an underwhelming campaign in 2024, and Thomas was once again listed as a trade candidate. The Guardians, needing outfield help as mentioned earlier, ultimately agreed to a trade with Washington.
Thomas is set to play an important role for the American League Central-leading Guardians following this crucial trade. Perhaps the Guardians will make more notable moves before the deadline.
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