Alek Thomas’ time in the Dodgers organization is over.
The veteran outfielder elected free agency at the conclusion of the minor league season, according to his transaction log on MLB.com, after finishing 2026 with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets. Because he was not on Los Angeles’ 40-man roster, Thomas had the ability to become a free agent immediately after the season. He had been taken off the 40-man roster in early September after being designated for assignment.
Thomas opened the year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the only organization he had known in his professional career before a May DFA changed everything. Arizona sent him to the Dodgers in a deal for minor league outfielder Jose Requena, and Los Angeles believed it could help him get more out of the offensive side of his game.
“A lot of the swing components have looked the same for a long, extended period of time, and we feel like there are some levers in there to partner with him and potentially unlock a little bit more,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told the Los Angeles Times in May. “But even as is, we feel like he’s a good extra outfielder, with the upside for even more than that.”
Thomas gave the Dodgers exactly the kind of production they were hoping to see in Triple-A. In 68 games for Oklahoma City, he hit .305/.378/.537 with 11 home runs, 51 RBIs and a .915 OPS. He also piled up 20 doubles, five triples and eight stolen bases.
His best chance with the big league club came in late August, when Andy Pages suffered a fractured hand. Thomas stepped in and made noise right away, driving in runs with RBI singles in each of his first three games.
But the hot start didn’t hold. He went 4-for-19 overall, a .211 clip, before being optioned on Sept.
A few days later, on Sept. 5, the Dodgers designated him for assignment again to clear room on the 40-man roster for Bobby Miller. Thomas cleared waivers and stayed in the organization through the end of the year, then helped Oklahoma City win both the Pacific Coast League championship and the Triple-A National Championship.
Now 26, Thomas heads into the market with a strong defensive reputation in center field and a bat that the Dodgers clearly believed had room to grow. Another club will likely take a shot on the offensive gains Los Angeles tried to coax out of him and see whether they can carry over over a full major league season.
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The challenge for Arizona State is clear enough: Baylor brings a quarterback threat that has been part of its recent surge, even with some uncertainty around Lagways health, and the Bears have another offensive piece in Pendergrass who could tilt the game if he is available and effective. Arizona States defensive strength will be tested in a way that should make this more than just another conference date, and the matchup feels like one that could hinge on which side handles the pressure better early. [Read more 🡒]