Deal Details: Cleveland Guardians acquire OF Lane Thomas from the Washington Nationals for LHP Alex Clemmey, SS José Tena and IF Rafael Ramirez Jr.

Cleveland needed outfield help, and some offensive help more generally, and they were one of the teams most aligned with the Nationals, who were willing to trade Lane Thomas but wouldn’t let him go for the price of a platoon bat. As a result, the Guardians paid a high price for a player who clearly helps them, and the Nats are doing very well for a player who has been great for them for almost two years but is about to be washed away by younger talent.

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MLB Trade Numbers: Could Guardians and Nats Have Done Better With Lane Thomas Deal?

Thomas had a career year in 2023, with 28 homers and a .268/.315/.468 line that was somewhat inconsistent, but enough to show he could be a regular for some teams. He’s regressed to .253/.331/.407 this year with worsening defense in right field, making it a bit surprising that a prospect would acquire him to play regularly, but the Guardians have received a .210/.288/.359 line from their right fielders this year, so Thomas will indeed be an upgrade.

It also highlights the difficulty Cleveland has had developing their own corner bats. It’s fair to say that any contender should be able to create their own Lane Thomas instead of trading three prospects to acquire just a year and a half of his time.

The Nationals did exceptionally well here, which isn’t to say that any of the three guys they brought in are a guarantee — far from it, in fact. They brought in three high-risk, high-reward prospects, and there’s a decent chance none of them pan out, but all three offer more than enough upside to justify their inclusion in the trade.

José Tena is a former top 100 talent. (Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

Shortstop José Tena was a top-100 prospect for me after the 2021 season when he hit .281/.331/.467 as a 20-year-old in High A, but Cleveland started messing with his lineup and swing and he’s had a lot of variance in his output since then. He’s hit well in Triple A this year — .298/.353/.493 — though that’s misleading considering he’s chased 35 percent of pitches out of the zone, even with the benefit of the challenge system.

The power is real, though, and he could be a 20+ homer shortstop if he can make better swing decisions. Nationals shortstop C.J. Abrams has had a breakout year at the plate, but he remains an abysmal defender at shortstop, with a minus-9 RAA this year after a minus-6 in 2023, and acquiring Tena would see the Nats slide Abrams to second or center.

Lefty Alex Clemmey turned 19 earlier this month and is pitching in Low A, where he struggles with command and control but the premium stuff. Clemmey hit 100 mph in high school in 2023 with a high-effort delivery that he couldn’t replicate. Cleveland’s player development staff simplified and smoothed out the delivery, so he’s more like 93-95 now and maxes out at 97, but has a much better shot at throwing strikes.

He has a 55 slider (on the 20-80 scouting scale) that has some tilt and goes up to about 88 mph, with a changeup that he rarely uses but shows promise. He’s very athletic and has a tremendous 6-foot-6 frame. The Guardians took him in the second round in 2023, just before his 18th birthday, and it’s fair to say the Nats simply acquired an extra second-round pick.

Rafael Ramirez Jr. also turned 19 this month. He’s played 54 games in Low A because he belongs at the short-season level that no longer exists, a trumpet I won’t stop beating because it actively hurts the development of prospects and thus the on-field product at all levels, including the majors. He’s hitting .187/.301/.319 with a 33 percent strikeout rate.

Ramirez is still undersized and underpowered, but he has good short-range action and some hand speed at the plate to project him into a utility infielder role – though he may have to repeat a minor league level along the way.

(Top photo of Thomas: Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)