CLEVELAND (AP) — The Guardians have improved their sometimes shaky offense ahead of the trade deadline.
As they continue to scour the market to bolster their starting rotation, the AL Central-leading team acquired experienced outfielder Lane Thomas from the Washington Nationals on Monday in exchange for three prospects.
“He’s a versatile outfielder who can play center field, right field and contribute offensively, defensively and on the bases,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said in Detroit. Cleveland wins 8-4.
Cleveland sent minor league left-hander Alex Clemmie along with infielders Jose Tena and Rafael Ramirez Jr. to the Nationals for the 28-year-old Thomas, who is batting .253 in 77 games this season.
Thomas will earn $5.45 million and will be arbitration eligible next winter and can become a free agent after the 2025 World Series. He would be an immediate contributor to a Guardian team that has several young players in the right field rotation, while also giving the Guards some speed and defensive presence.
Despite leading the division for most of the season, the Guardians have struggled to score points since before the All-Star break, often going scoreless since July 8 and recently scoring two or fewer points in eight of their 12 games.
It’s been a while since the Guardians have had a consistent right fielder. Will Brennan was the starter before injuries slowed him down, but Cleveland has used rookies Angel Martinez and JonKenzie Noel in that role.
Thomas could be slotted as the No. 2 hitter behind leadoff hitter Steven Kwan and ahead of All-Stars Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor.
Thomas is third in the National League with 28 stolen bases and is the most in the major leagues with 24 outfield assists since the start of last season. He has eight home runs and 40 RBIs and is on base in 25 consecutive games, the longest streak in the major leagues.
Cleveland is one of several teams looking for a starting pitcher before Tuesday’s trade deadline at 6 p.m. EDT.
“Our pursuit isn’t over yet,” Antonetti said. “Whether it will lead to a new deal or additional deals is difficult to predict, but we will continue to be proactive and explore whether other opportunities exist.”
Thomas was drafted by Toronto in 2014. He was traded to St. Louis in 2017 and played 84 games for the Cardinals from 2019-2021 before being dealt to Washington in exchange for left-handed pitcher Jon Lester.
In four seasons with the Nationals, Thomas batted .257 with 60 home runs, 205 RBIs and 60 stolen bases.
Clemmie, 19, was a second-round draft pick by Cleveland last season and was considered one of the team’s top pitching prospects.
The 6-foot-6 Clemmie went 1-4 with a 4.67 ERA in 19 starts for Class A Lynchburg, striking out 97 batters in 69 1/3 innings and holding opponents to a .214 batting average.
Tena made his major league debut with the Guardians last season and currently leads Cleveland’s minor league career with 110 hits. The 23-year-old is second with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs. He also stole 14 bases with Triple-A Columbus.
Tena can play shortstop, second baseman and third baseman.
Ramirez, 19, is playing his first full minor league season and is batting .187 in 54 games.
“We traded three players who we thought had the potential to have a bright future,” Antonetti said. “It’s tough to make a trade like this, but we felt it was something that had to be done.”
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___ Associated Press Sports Writer Larry Large in Detroit contributed to this report.
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