It’s amazing how in baseball one swing can change everything. That is so true with a trade the Cleveland Guardians made this season.
“The Guardians trade for Lane Thomas from the Nationals in exchange for three prospects: lefty Alex Clemmey (the Guardians’ No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline), shortstop Rafael Ramirez Jr. (No. 22) and infielder José Tena.” – MLB.com
This is his sixth season. Playing with the Cardinals (2.5 years), Nationals (3 years total) and this half-season in Cleveland with the Guardians.
At the time, the deal was considered a way to improve a team truly looking to contend. Thomas, a right fielder, wasn’t an MVP guaranteed to propel the Guardians all the way, but it wasn’t looked at as a bad deal either. The cynical side of any fan would say we’ll see those prospects years down the line when they thrive in the big leagues and Thomas won’t make a difference.
In 53 games played for the Guardians this year, Thomas hit .209 with seven home runs and 23 RBI. Average down from .253 with the Nationals for the year to that point. Nothing too special but it wasn’t horrible either. Just a bit disappointing in regards to the decrease in average.
However, it was one swing of the bat on the first pitch with the bases loaded in Game Five of the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers that changed it all. A grand slam over the giant left-field wall gave the Guardians a 5-1 lead and would ultimately propel them over said Tigers to advance to the ALCS. Thomas went 4/15 in the series as a whole.
The Guardians now move on to face the top-ranked New York Yankees in the ALCS for a chance to get to that coveted World Series.
Thomas is 29 and made just under eight million dollars this year. It’ll be very interesting to see what the Guardians choose to do in regards to an extension or not when that time comes after next season (for 2026 and beyond). Of course, first things first. Let’s focus on the task at hand that starts Monday night in the Bronx.
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