A Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder has elected to enter free agency ahead of the 2026 postseason.
Veteran outfielder Alek Thomas , who finished the 2026 season with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets, has elected free agency at the conclusion of the minor league season, per his transaction log on MLB.com.
Thomas, a five-year veteran, had the option to enter free agency immediately after the season since he was not on the Dodgers' 40-man roster. He was removed from the 40-man roster in early-September after being designated for assignment.
Thomas began the year with the Arizona Diamondbacks , where he had spent his entire professional career.
However, he was DFA'd in May and traded to the division-rival Dodgers in exchange for minor league outfielder Jose Requena.
The Dodgers felt they could help Thomas unlock the offensive aspect of his game that has failed him over the last few years.
"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."
At Oklahoma City, the results were certainly there.
Across 68 games for the Comets, Thomas slashed .305/.378/.537 with 11 home runs, 51 RBIs and an OPS of .915. He added 20 doubles, five triples and eight stolen bases.
In late-August, Thomas got an opportunity with the Dodgers when Andy Pages suffered a fractured hand.
He made an immediate impact, hitting RBI singles in each of his first three games.
However, Thomas ended up going just 4-for-19 (.211) before being optioned on Sept. 1. He was then DFA'd to make room on the 40-man roster for Bobby Miller on Sept. 5.
Thomas cleared waivers and decided to stay with the Dodgers organization for the remainder of the season. He helped Triple-A OKC win the Pacific Coast League championship and the Triple-A National Championship.
Now, he's heading to free agency, where at 26 years old he shouldn't have trouble finding a new home.
Thomas is a plus-defender at a premium position in center field. A team will almost certainly be willing to take a chance on the offensive changes the Dodgers made with him and see if they can translate over a full season at the major league level.
Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on X/Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/onsi as Dodgers Outfielder Leaves Organization for Free Agency Before Postseason .
