Braves get unexpectedly weak grade from ESPN for Lane Thomas trade with Royals

The Atlanta Braves made the first move of the 2026 MLB trade deadline for a right-handed hitting outfield bat, adding Lane Thomas from the Kansas City Royals in a four-player deal.

With Byron Buxton not a realistic option, and players like Jo Adell, Taylor Ward, and Randy Arozarena likely too expensive, they wound up landing Thomas, who has a .232 batting average with 0.3 bWAR in 285 at-bats this season with a .719 OPS.

In the aftermath of this trade with the Royals, what kind of grade did the Braves receive? According to ESPN's Bradford Doolittle, Atlanta received an unexpectedly weak "C-" grade for their Thomas trade.

Braves receive unexpectedly weak 'C-' grade for Lane Thomas trade

"Braves grade: C-," Doolittle writes. "... This deal might make more sense when we have the full context of Atlanta's deadline approach. For now, it's uninspiring."

This deal for the Braves, bringing in Thomas and left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Lucas Braun and left-handed pitcher Carter Holton, didn't receive an exciting response from Doolittle.

While he's leaving the door open for this trade grade to increase if the Braves make some other moves to justify spending what they did on a rental bat and questionable pitcher in Thomas and Falter, for now, the trade is, as he put it, "uninspiring."

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If this addition is all the Braves do, it might receive an even worse grade. But, assuming the Braves have a starting pitching trade plan in place and maybe another outfielder in mind, this trade might not feel as weak as it does right now.

But, adding Thomas, who's not exactly an incredible player, posting a slightly above-average 104 OPS+ this season, and picking up Falter for some valuable prospects in Braun and Holton doesn't move the needle a whole lot.

That's especially the case when not long after this deal, the Braves' top competition in the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers, land Tarik Skubal in a blockbuster deal.

This Thomas deal feels underwhelming, especially in comparison. But, even in a vacuum, Thomas is a depth outfield option that, while not terrible, should not be all Alex Anthopoulos has up his sleeve this summer. More needs to come, and it should.

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