Reds have a sneaky trade opportunity brewing thanks to D-backs risky outfield gamble

The Arizona Diamondbacks are flirting with chaos, in a good way. Shifting infielder Jordan Lawlar — a blue-chip shortstop by trade — into outfield reps isn’t just a developmental experiment; it’s an organizational fork in the road.

You don’t hand a prized infield prospect a new glove unless you’re actively re-drawing your depth chart and testing which pieces are essential versus expendable. That kind of bet creates ripples, and if you’re the Cincinnati Reds, armed with pitching the D-backs covet and a logjam of near-MLB talent, those ripples look a lot like leverage.

That brings us to the D-backs center fielder Alek Thomas, the kind of player who can look ordinary on a stat line and indispensable on a roster card. Thomas finished 2025 slashing .249/.289/.370 with an 82 OPS+, nine homers and 38 RBI, numbers that read “buy-low” more than “breakout.” 

Reds should pounce if D-backs shop Alek Thomas after outfield gamble

But context matters. He’s a premium center-field defender with instinctive routes, closing speed, and the kind of glove that calms pitching staffs. He’s also under club control through 2029, which is exactly the sort of affordable runway front offices chase when they’re trying to turn a good roster into a sustainable one. If Arizona is serious about giving Lawlar outfield burn, Thomas becomes the natural pressure point, and Cincinnati becomes the natural caller.

From the Reds’ perspective, the fit is clean. Great American Ball Park can goose gap power, and Thomas’s compact stroke plays when he lifts the ball to the pull side. More importantly, Cincinnati has lived on the edge in center field when injuries hit or when matchups demanded a true plus defender to close games. 

Slotting Thomas alongside (and sometimes ahead of) their current options like TJ Friedl gives Terry Francona a late-inning glove to shorten contests, a lefty-heavy outfield group a quality right-handed foil, and an everyday baseline that doesn’t rely on someone playing out of position. Depth isn’t a luxury in the NL Central; it’s the difference between 83 and 88 wins.

Arizona’s incentive is just as obvious. If Lawlar is going to siphon outfield innings, the D-backs can convert a surplus defender into innings or bats that better balance the roster. Cincinnati can deal from areas of strength without touching its crown jewels: a near-ready starter from the second or even third tier, a leverage-capable reliever with options, or a bat from the infield logjam blocked by Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Sal Stewart, and Ke’Bryan Hayes.

The timing is what makes this “sneaky.” Arizona experimenting with Lawlar in the grass isn’t a headline you act on next July; it’s a hint you pounce on now, before roles harden and prices rise.

The Reds have the resources to construct a deal that doesn’t sting, exactly the kind of tidy, both-sides-happy trade that turns up three months later and makes everyone say, “Of course.” Alek Thomas won’t win the press conference. He might win you a one-run game in August and save you a season in September. For a Cincinnati team trying to turn potential into posture, that’s the kind of edge worth buying.