The Guardians have acquired outfielder Lane Thomas from the Washington Nationals .
The Guardians are sending pitching prospect Alex Clemmey , ranked as the No. 8 prospect in Cleveland 's system by MLB Pipeline , along with infield prospects Jose Tena and Rafael Ramirez Jr (No. 22).
The team has confirmed the deal . Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET is Major League Baseball's trade deadline .
Thomas, who turns 29 next month, fits what the Guardians need nearly perfectly as an outfielder who can move around ( though he's most often played right field recently) and as a hitter who crushes left-handed pitching. Thomas is hitting .253 with a .738 OPS overall this season, but against lefties he's hitting .326 with a .410 on-base percentage and .922 OPS.
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In 2023, Thomas hit 28 home runs with 36 doubles, 86 RBIs and 20 stolen bases along with a .268 average and .783 OPS.
He accrued 3.1 fWAR last season, and is at 1.0 fWAR in 2024.
Thomas, who is under club control through next season, also brings an element of speed, as he has stolen 28 bases in 77 games this year. He has a base salary of $5.45 million this year and will be eligible for arbitration for the 2025 season.
Thomas missed time earlier this season with a left knee sprain.
The Guardians' remaining top targets to possibly address before Tuesday's deadline are shortstop and starting pitcher.
Thomas will wear No. 8 once he joins the Cleveland roster.
Clemmey, who just turned 19 earlier this month, had a 4.67 ERA in A-Ball with Lynchburg.
Tena, 22, was another middle infield prospect as a position of surplus in the Guardians' minor league ranks. He had an .846 OPS with Triple-A Columbus this year, and in the majors he has hit .200 with a .520 OPS.
Ramirez, in A-Ball, has a career .151 average in the minor leagues.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Lane Thomas traded to Cleveland Guardians from Washington Nationals
