The AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians have added to their outfield. The Guards are acquiring Lane Thomas from the Washington Nationals, the teams announced Monday night. The three-prospect trade package includes lefty Alex Clemmey and infielders Rafael Ramirez and Jose Tena.
Thomas, 28, has been one of the more productive outfielders in the National League the last few seasons. He owns a .253/.331/.407 slash line with eight home runs and 28 stolen bases this season. Last year, he slugged 28 homers and swiped 20 bags, and was a 3.3 WAR player. Also, Thomas is not a rental. He is under team control through 2025.
The outfield seems to be an annual problem for the Guardians. Even with All-Star Steven Kwan, who is slashing .342/.395/.502 with 11 home runs, Cleveland's outfielders are collectively hitting .247/.324/.395 with 34 homers this year. That is almost exactly league average once adjusted for ballpark. Thomas will presumably slide into right field, though center is also possible.
Clemmey, 19, has a 4.67 ERA with 97 strikeouts but also 47 walks in 69 1/3 Single-A innings this season. Baseball America ranked him the No. 7 prospect in Cleveland's system in their midseason update, and called him a "high-risk, high-reward" pitcher with plenty of upside. Ramirez, 19, is hitting .187/.301/.319 in Single-A. He was the team's No. 20 prospect per those same BA rankings.
Over the last two seasons Tena, 23, is 7 for 35 (.200) in 21 big-league games. He's hitting a stout .295/.353/.493 with 17 home runs in 90 Triple-A games and seems likely to join the Nationals right away, where at-bats at second and third bases are available. Tena and Ramirez are both natural shortstops.
At 63-42, the Guardians have the AL's best record and a 4.5-game lead in the division. With their outfield addressed, they are likely to pursue pitching reinforcements prior to Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline.
The Nationals are 49-57 and 6 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot. They've already traded Thomas and setup man Hunter Harvey. Closer Kyle Finnegan could be next to go.
