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Braves Acquire Lane Thomas, Bailey Falter from The Royals
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- Braves Acquire Lane Thomas, Bailey Falter from The Royals
The Atlanta Braves made one of the first significant moves ahead of the August 3 MLB trade deadline.
Jeff Passan of ESPN was the first to report that the Braves acquired outfielder Lane Thomas and left-hander Bailey Falter from the Kansas City Royals.
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Robert Murray of FanSided also reported that Atlanta is sending prospects Carter Holton and Lucas Braun to Kansas City in exchange for Thomas and Falter.
Thomas was one of the best outfielders on the trade market, with the hopes that his addition could further boost the Braves' lineup. Falter is considered a depth piece for an Atlanta pitching staff that has been dealing with injuries this season.
The Royals signed Thomas to a one-year, $5.25 million deal in the offseason. Thomas is coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign with the Cleveland Guardians , appearing in just 39 games while slashing .160/.246/.272 with four home runs, 11 RBI and a .518 OPS. He underwent season-ending surgery on September 23 due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
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The 30-year-old has since had a nice bounce-back season for Kansas City this year. Across 97 games, Thomas is batting .232/.326/.393 with 10 home runs, 37 RBI and an OPS of .719.
As for Falter, he has spent much of this season on the injured list with elbow inflammation and was designated for assignment by the Royals in May after logging a 13.97 ERA in five outings (two starts) this season.
May 26, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Bailey Falter (36) throws a pitch in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn ImagesPeter Aiken-Imagn Images
Despite those poor numbers, the 29-year-old is three years removed from posting a 3.86 ERA in 20 games (16 starts) with the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2022 campaign. The Braves are hoping that Falter can recapture that strong form and help an injury-riddled pitching staff.
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With the trade deadline right around the corner, the Braves maintain a comfortable 8.5-game lead over the aforementioned Phillies for first place in the NL East. It remains to be seen if they're done making anymore moves.
Dealing Thomas and Falter should not come as much of a surprise for the Royals, as they're in the midst of another dismal season. They currently hold the third-worst record in the American League and are in last place in the AL Central at 46-65.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
