Report: Guardians acquire OF Thomas from Nationals
Published
The Washington Nationals are finalizing a deal to send outfielder Lane Thomas to the Cleveland Guardians, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Left-handed pitching prospect Alex Clemmey and two other prospects are headed back to Washington.
Thomas, 28, has hit .253 with eight home runs and 40 runs batted in this season, his fourth in Washington.
The right fielder was excellent a season ago, when he set career highs in HR (28), RBI (86) and on-base plus slugging (.783), but has struggled to replicate those power numbers.
Originally drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth round of the 2014 MLB Draft, Thomas debuted with the Cardinals in 2019.
In 508 career MLB games, the Knoxville, Tenn. native has a batting average of .251 with 65 HR and 220 RBI. He is due to become a free agent after the 2025 season.