Is Patience Running Thin for Cleveland Guardians' Playoff Hero?

The Cleveland Guardians made a couple of significant moves at the MLB trade deadline last summer, one of which was swinging a deal for outfielder Lane Thomas.

The Guardians had a glaring need in their outfield at the time, and Thomas was expected to to give their ailing lineup a major boost.

Well, Thomas certainly did that for stretches in 2024, slashing .264/.295/.560 with seven home runs and 20 RBI during the month of September and also hitting a pivotal grand slam during Game 5 of Cleveland's ALDS playoff win over the Detroit Tigers.

Overall, however, Thomas slashed just .209/.267/.390 in 53 games with the Guardians last year, and this season, he has played in just 18 games due to injury, slashing .129/.200/.145.

He owns a .574 OPS in total since arriving in Cleveland last July, which has some wondering if the Guardians might try to ship him out by this year's trade deadline.

Henry Palatella is among that group, listing Thomas as an expendable piece for the club.

"Thomas is an impending free agent so moving him would be a good way to capitalize on getting something for him before he potentially leaves for nothing in free agency," Palatella wrote.

Palatella qualifies his statement, however, by saying that trading the veteran may not exactly send the best message to the locker room in the middle of a playoff hunt and that Thomas should only be dealt if Cleveland falls out of the playoff race before July 31.

It's not like Thomas' value is incredibly high right now, anyway. In fact, it's the lowest it's ever been, so the Guardians can't expect to get anything more than a low-level prospect for the 29-year-old (who turns 30 in August).

With Cleveland's outfield (not including Steven Kwan, of course) struggling to produce offense, watching Thomas flail at the plate when he has been available this season has certainly been frustrating.

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