An undated picture of free-agent outfielder Lane Thomas. — Reuters
KANSAS CITY: Two World Series championships, the Kansas City Royals have agreed on a one-year, $5.25 million deal with free-agent outfielder Lane Thomas, international media reported on Thursday.
According to the media reports, the club has not confirmed the contract, which is pending a physical and includes $1 million in incentives.
The 30-year-old Thomas spent the 2025 season with the Cleveland Guardians but featured in just 39 games due to injury.
He struggled at the plate, batting .160 with four home runs and 11 RBIs, before opting for season-ending plantar fascia surgery in September.
Thomas is perhaps best remembered for his clutch grand slam off Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in Game 5 of the 2024 American League Division Series, a key hit that helped the Guardians advance to the American League Championship Series.
That memorable moment came shortly after Cleveland acquired him from the Washington Nationals, where he had spent the majority of his major league career.
Across more than 600 games over seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (2019–21), Washington (2021–24), and Cleveland, Thomas has compiled a .242 batting average with 76 home runs, 254 RBIs, and 71 stolen bases.
In 10 career playoff games, all during Cleveland’s 2024 postseason run, he added two more home runs.
It is pertinent to mention that Thomas has played at all three outfield positions, including 276 starts in right field and 170 in centre. In his last full season in 2024, he showed limited range (–8 outs above average, third percentile) but demonstrated an elite arm, ranking in the 95th percentile for arm strength.