Lane Thomas Is A Compelling Trade Deadline Case Study
Hyping up the Washington Nationals outfielder, who is enjoying a career year...
Of all the names being hurled about in trade talk ahead of the Trade Deadline, one kept catching my attention consistently.
Lane Thomas.
For regular readers of Blogs Of Steele, you will be well aware that I am an absolute Baseball junkie. Like, I have a very real addiction to this beautiful sport we all love so much.
So much so that I have indulged in a glut of Washington Nationals games this year, despite the fact that they absolutely stink. To be more precise, they are bottom of the NL East with a 45-62 record and are a whopping 23.5 games out of the division lead.
That’s how big a hot mess the rebuilding Nats are.
But there’s a very precise reason why I keep going back for more punishment by watching a team that makes losing look like an absolute art form:
Lane Thomas.
I’m a sucker for old school Baseball players who don’t subscribe to the modern-day sink-or-swim style of play with the home run and the strikeout*. Hence why I’m absolutely obsessed with Miami Marlins star Luis Arraez, who is currently hitting .381 as of August 1, which is just absurd.
*Side Note - Thanks to the slew of rule changes introduced for the 2023 season, there has been a hell of a lot more action and the game is no longer just about hitting homers and striking out. Thank God. I was speaking more generally.
Anyway, back to Thomas.
I’ve loved watching the 27-year-old go out on a one-man mission to give Nationals fans any kind of semblance of hope this year. Because, let’s face it, there isn’t a whole lot to get excited about when it comes to Baseball in the Capital right now.
It is almost as if Thomas has built a time machine himself with his own bare hands, jumped in it and transported himself from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s where offensive players could hit for average, hit for power, hit from both sides of the plate and do a job out in the field too.
Thomas is a true throwback to the glory days of the outfielder who could do it all. He’s a Swiss-Army Knife type of player who is just hitting his prime years. That’s why I’m surprised he isn’t attracting a ton more interest at the Trade Deadline.
Because, for me, Thomas is one of the most intriguing and arguably one of the better value players available.
He’s in the midst of a career year, hitting .287/.334/.473 to go along with a .807 OPS, an OPS+ of 123, 16 home runs, 26 doubles, two triples, 57 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. The righty bat has already achieved career-highs in a number of offensive categories, and he leads the Nationals in batting average, homers and RBIs. Sure, Thomas is currently in the middle of a minor slump, slashing .200/.231/.200 with a .431 OPS over the past seven days. However, the righty has been incredibly reliable this year, playing in 105 games and struggles are to be expected over the course of a 162-game season.
Furthermore, Thomas has some pretty monster splits. This year, he’s hitting .254/.302/.399/.700 against righties with eight homers, 16 doubles and 34 RBIs. Against left-handed pitching, he’s been even more productive, slashing .362/.407/.639/.1.046 with eight home runs, 10 doubles and 23 RBIs. Parcel that over a bigger picture, and Thomas owns a career .689 OPS against righties in nearly 900 plate appearances, and a staggering .908 OPS against lefties. Since his Major League debut in 2019, Thomas is tied with only Tim Anderson and Manny Machado for wRC+ against left-handed pitching (146).
Put simply; Thomas can be effective in any situation, but he’ll absolutely destroy left-handed pitching.
Able to play all three outfield spots, Thomas has been more than solid in the field this year and, given his ability to both hit for average and hit for power, he could be a smart option as a DH for a contender. He can also be used as a regular in the lineup against lefties, and then be relied upon as a potent pinch hitter off the bench against righties. Talk about a versatile option that ticks all the boxes.
Plus, one of the biggest attractions when it comes to Thomas is that he’s a controllable asset for the foreseeable future. He has two more years of team control after this season. Throw into the mix the fact that Thomas is still only 27-years-old, then any contender would be gaining a player operating at the peak of his powers that can help them win now and in the future. What win-now team wouldn’t want a legit offensive weapon who is likely only going to get better for at least the next two years?
Of course, there is a drawback to having Thomas under control for the next 2.5 seasons. And that’s the asking prize. The Nationals are in the middle of what is going to be a long rebuild, and they are understandably going to want a haul back in return for one of their biggest and most valuable assets. Although the actual ask is unknown, it wouldn’t be surprising if Washington was looking for a top ranked prospect in addition to a handful of decent prospects in return for Thomas. They need to bolster their farm system with uber-talented young studs, and dealing Thomas could help with that.
You also have the small caveat that, up until this point, Thomas has been pretty inconsistent throughout his career both at the plate and in the field. However, if you’re an interested buyer, you just have to hope that this season is proof positive that the outfielder has finally figured it out and his 2023 stats truly represent who he is as a player.
However, it goes without saying that the positives far outweigh the negatives here, and Thomas’ upside and current production should cancel out any concerns.
Overall, Lane Thomas is a player who can help a contending team address multiple needs both right now and in the future. He’s reaching his peak, he’s having a career year, he can be used across the outfield and he’s going to offer you both power and the ability to make things happen at the plate by putting the ball in play. He’s also pretty dangerous on the basepaths, too. I know if I was a General Manager in need of a legit piece to help push my team that little bit closer, then Thomas would be a player I’d be going after hard no matter the cost.
For me, Thomas should be seen as one of the most compelling and one of the most high-value players available at this year’s Trade Deadline.
He’s also a hell of a lot of fun to watch for any team that may make a late push to get him.
