Lane Thomas's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal writes that the Cleveland Guardians are open to trade offers for first baseman Josh Naylor and outfielder Lane Thomas, both of whom are entering their walk years. Naylor is projected to earn $12 million in salary arbitration, while Thomas is at $8.3 million. Cleveland has concerns in their outfield, but they just landed Thomas in a midseason trade in 2024. Naylor, on the other hand, has emerged as one of the team's most valuable position players while also being a leader in the clubhouse. If Naylor were dealt, Kyle Manzardo would be the obvious replacement for Naylor at first base in Cleveland. The small-market organization has already lost left-hander Matthew Boyd to free agency, and right-handers Shane Bieber and Alex Cobb could be next. Naylor had a career year for the Guards in 2024, but his struggles against left-handed pitching remains an issue.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas went 1-for-4 with a three-run shot in Game 1 of the ALDS. Thomas broke the game open early by hitting a three-run blast in the first inning to score third baseman Jose Ramirez and first baseman Josh Naylor to cap off an impressive five-run inning. The 29-year-old was able to carry his power surge into the postseason after tallying seven round-trippers with a .560 SLG during the final month of the regular season. Thomas should continue to bat in the five-hole of a deep Guardians lineup, which should present him with several RBI opportunities. However, Thomas is best to fade in DFS on Monday as he will face Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, who is coming off a six-inning shutout in the AL Wild Card Series.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas had a big day at the plate on Wednesday as his team beat the Chicago White Sox 6-4. Batting fifth, Thomas went 3-for-4 (three singles) with four RBI and one run scored. Thomas has had a mediocre season (.246 AVG, .718 OPS) but has been super hot as of late. In his last 15 games, he is slashing .370/.408/.652 with three homers and 14 RBI. This is great news for the Guardians, as they are looking to keep their lineup potent, heading into what promises to be a tight postseason race and postseason. Thomas is rostered in 64% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues and is worth adding in most leagues while he's swinging a hot bat.