Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas. Daniel Kucin Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

Trade target that Braves 'long liked' dealt ahead of deadline

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Alex Lord | Last updated Jul 29, 2024 10:05 PM ET

Another hour toward the trade deadline, another potential Braves trade target off the board. We are less than 24 hours away from Tuesday's 6 p.m. deadline, and Alex Anthopoulos has yet to strike a deal.

As the clock ticks, other clubs are making acquisitions, some of which made sense for the Braves, including Lane Thomas. The outfielder, who Atlanta reportedly has “long liked,” was just traded from Washington to Cleveland.

The Cleveland Guardians are finalizing a deal to acquire outfielder Lane Thomas from the Washington Nationals, sources tell ESPN. Left-handed pitching prospect Alex Clemmey and two other prospects are headed back to Washington.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 29, 2024

“The Braves are primed to add an outfield bat — they’ve long liked Washington’s Lane Thomas — and hope a repeat of their injury-pocked 2021 championship is in the cards,” Jeff Passan wrote recently.

The veteran Thomas doesn’t have the sexiest stat line, but he absolutely mashes left-handed pitching, which would have made him a great platoon partner for Jarred Kelenic or Eddie Rosario.

The Braves got great news that Reynaldo Lopez avoided serious injury, and Max Fried is expected to return sooner rather than later, allowing Alex Anthoplous to focus on improving the offense.

The outfield and middle infield need bodies, not even All-Stars. Even league average ball players would be an improvement over what the Braves are trotting out there right now.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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