The offseason rumors are in full force. According to a new report from AZCentral’s Nick Piecoro, the Arizona Diamondbacks are likely to trade one of their young outfield options. Don’t worry, it’s, not Corbin Carroll.
Rather, one of either Jake McCarthy or Alek Thomas is likely to be headed out of Arizona in a potential trade.
As the GM meetings in Las Vegas begin to gather some steam, the seeds of potential future deals are planted between clubs’ executives.
Related Content: D-backs GM Mike Hazen Addresses Ketel Marte Trade Rumor
Diamondbacks Looking to Trade from Outfield Depth
Sep 28, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Alek Thomas (5) can’t make the catch on a single hit by San Diego Padres third baseman Will Wagner (24) during the fifth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Both Thomas and McCarthy are young, controllable players with plenty of speed. Thomas has had his fair share of exceptional, highlight-reel plays in center field, while McCarthy has had more relative success at the plate.
According to Piecoro’s report, it is currently unclear which of the two players is more likely to depart via trade, though neither of them have “significant” trade value to opposing teams.
Thomas, for his young career, owns a .234/.277/.362 slash with 29 homers and a career 74 wRC+ (26% below average). His home run in game four of the NLCS will live on in D-backs legend.
His defense has had some eye-popping highs, but has taken a bit of a step back of late.
In fact, he was worth an even +0 Fielding Run Value and Outs Above Average (per Statcast) in the 2025 season. His -7 Defensive Runs Saved (via Baseball-Reference) were a career low.
McCarthy, meanwhile, has struggled to find consistency, both offensively and defensively. He posted an exceptional 2024 season, slashing .285/.349/.400 with a 110 wRC+, but that appeared to be somewhat dependent on batted ball luck.
As regression began to hit, McCarthy stopped doing so. He slashed a mere .204/.247/.345 (60 wRC+) in 2025, although his defense was a slight tick above Thomas’ this past season.
The Diamondbacks don’t have much in terms of true impact in their outfield, outside of Carroll, of course. But other than their Silver Slugger winner and 2023 rookie of the year, there hasn’t been much offense from that group.
With that in mind, Arizona does have plenty of depth in the outfield. Players like Tim Tawa and Jorge Barrosa, or even Blaze Alexander and Jordan Lawlar could be options to fill the defensive roles. Neither McCarthy’s nor Thomas’ bat have put them in a tier far above those other options.
Whether or not the D-backs do manage a deal surrounding either of these players remains to be seen.
Arizona’s needs are quite evident, though neither of these tradeable outfielders would be nearly enough to bring back a top-end starting pitcher, closer or everyday first baseman.
Perhaps they’ll be packaged in a deal alongside some prospects. Or maybe they’ll bring back a smaller, more low-risk, high-reward return.
Either way, this offseason is just getting started.
Arizona Diamondbacks Latest News