Alek Thomas’ time in Arizona may very well be done. Thomas, who has provided defensive value but never developed into the five-tool player he was thought he could be years ago, was designated for assignment on May 8. It was one of the notable moves on the day, which also featured hard-throwing reliever Franco Aleman receiving his first MLB call-up.
Aleman called up by Cleveland
The Guardians recalled pitcher Franco Aleman, a 25-year-old reliever who didn’t allow an earned run over 12 innings with Triple-A Columbus. The right-hander was a 10th-round pick in 2021.
Aleman is a true two-pitch pitcher, as aside from one changeup thrown this season, everything was either a low-to-mid-80s slider or an upper-90s fastball. He sported a Whiff% just a shade under 33% this season in Columbus.
Thomas DFA’d
The Diamondbacks designated outfielder Alek Thomas on May 8.
Thomas, now 26 years of age, spent parts of five seasons with the D-Backs between 2022 and 2026. He’s long been an aggressive hitter, more so this season with an out-of-zone swing rate above 40%. However, the biggest issue is that the former second-round pick never developed into a stout hitter.
Five years ago, Thomas slashed .313/.394/.559 across three levels with 18 home runs. Thomas never hit more than nine home runs in a year.
That move opened up a spot on the active roster for Ryan Waldschmidt, who was officially selected on May 8.
Recalls & options
Steven Cruz (Royals), Trey Gibson (Orioles), Nick Yorke (Pirates), Paul Gervase (Dodgers), Jack Anderson (Red Sox), Tyler Schweitzer (White Sox), Stephen Kolek (Royals), and Kervin Castro (Yankees) were recalled from the Minors.
Jace Jung (Tigers), Eric Cerantola (Royals), John Klein (Twins), Tyler Locklear (D-Backs), Chase Solesky (Rays), Jake Bennett (Red Sox), and Jhonny Pereda (Mariners) were optioned to Triple-A.
Other notes
Marlins reliever Stephen Jones was designated for assignment.
Houston selected pitcher Logan VanWey from Triple-A Sugar Land.
The Tigers signed Zack Short to a Major League deal.
Greg Jones (Brewers), Jose Azocar (Braves), Dylan Moore (Phillies), and Dustin Harris (Astros) were sent outright to Triple-A. Harris and Azocar elected free agency on the 8th.
Additionally, the Braves re-signed Carlos Carrasco and assigned him to Triple-A.
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