Dave Dombrowski and the Philadelphia Phillies had an eventful trade deadline, with impactful players like Luis Arraez and Brooks Raley, among others, being imported to help with the playoff push. One crucial area it looked like the Phillies had missed out on was adding reinforcements to an outfield that was very much in need. That is, until Dombrowski struck again at the buzzer.
Philadelphia is acquiring outfielder Colby Thomas from the Athletics in exchange for righty reliever Seth Johnson. It might not be an earth-shattering move, but Thomas will help shore up the outfield defense, and that's very much needed with Bryce Harper moving back to the outfield for the first time since 2022.
Thomas is most likely a depth piece, but the 25-year-old might have something hiding beneath the surface that is worthwhile as the Phillies figure out their best outfield rotation.
Colby Thomas gives the Phillies outfield depth and potentially more in last-minute trade
Thomas is batting just .202/.235/.333 with four homers over 121 plate appearances, which certainly isn't awe-inspiring, but is better than the .167/.202/.286 mark that Gabriel Rincones Jr. has put up over his 29-game sample. While Rincones Jr. is a lefty bat and Thomas is a right-handed hitter, it's likely that these two are battling for the final outfield spot.
Philadelphia's newest outfielder got some run last year, too, playing 49 MLB games and collecting 132 plate appearances with a .225/.267/.417 line and six dingers. Again, aside from some occasional pop, that's nothing really to write home about.
However, Thomas entered 2025 as the A's No. 3-ranked prospect, behind superstar Nick Kurtz and shortstop Jacob Wilson. There's some talent here and perhaps some untapped potential that the Phillies can nurture.
A third-round pick in 2022, the biggest question mark in Thomas's game is his hit tool. He has some real power, clocking 31 dingers between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024 and 24 long balls between Triple-A and the majors last season. However, his big league performance to date has featured a 34% strikeout rate between last season and this year, combined.
Still, to get a player with some real potential, even if his luster is a bit faded, for a righty reliever in Johnson who has struggled to throw strikes and has a 7.18 career ERA is a nifty little win. If Thomas, who is adequate defensively in the corners and can fill in a pinch in center, can harness his abilities, the Phillies might have unearthed a useful piece.
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