The D-backs are cutting ties with one former top outfield prospect in order to turn the page toward a new one. Arizona announced Friday that Alek Thomas has been designated for assignment, while top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt‘s contract has been selected to the majors. Waldschmidt, currently the game’s No. 41 prospect on Baseball America’s recent top-100 update, figures to get regular work in the outfield moving forward. The Snakes also activated first baseman Tyler Locklear from the injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Reno.

Now 26 years old, Thomas was a second-round pick out of high school back in 2018 and quickly became not only one of the game’s top-ranked outfield prospects but its top-ranked prospects overall. From 2020-22, Thomas was a consensus top prospect on lists at Baseball America, MLB.com and several other outlets. He climbed as high as No. 32 on BA’s rankings in 2022 and all the way up to No. 18 over at MLB.com.

While Thomas didn’t exactly hit the ground running in 2022, he showed decent bat-to-ball skills, good speed and a quality glove in his firs taste of big league action. After slashing .322/.397/.539 (125 wRC+) in Triple-A Reno to earn his big league promotion that year, he hit .231/.275/.344 with eight homers in 411 plate appearances during his first taste of the majors.

That was nearly 30% worse than league-average production, per wRC+, but Thomas showed 95th percentile sprint speed and logged positive marks in both Defensive Runs Saved (7) and Outs Above Average (7). It’s easy enough to overlook a shaky offensive showing for a 22-year-old in his MLB debut when the other tools are present, and Thomas had a nice speed-and-defense floor with an 18% strikeout rate that sat well shy of league average.

Unfortunately, Thomas’ bat has yet to come around. He’s now played in parts of four major league seasons. He’s never topped nine homers or an 81 wRC+. He’s a career .230/.273/.361 hitter in 1485 plate appearances and has seen his strikeout rate climb since that rookie showing. Thomas struck out at an alarming 26% clip last season (in a career-high 469 plate appearances) and is at 23% this season while batting .181/.222/.340. He’s out of minor league options, and a D-backs club that ranks 19th in runs scored and 22nd in home runs clearly feels it can no longer wait for an offensive breakout that may simply never manifest.

Waldschmidt, 23, entered the season as a top-tier prospect and has done nothing to change that outlook. The former No. 31 overall draft pick has taken 156 plate appearances in Reno and delivered a .289/.400/.477 batting line with three homers, nine doubles, three triples, six steals, a huge 12.2% walk rate and a 24.4% strikeout rate. He’s a 6′, 205-pound outfielder who bats from the right side and has plus raw power that has yet to fully be displayed in game settings just yet. Last year’s 18 homers are a career-high, but he’s a potential 20- to 30-homer bat with a good idea of the strike zone, above-average speed and experience in all three outfield spots.

Most scouting reports think Waldschmidt will settle in as a corner outfielder, but he’s played primarily center this season and could take over for Thomas in that regard. The primary alternative in center would be Corbin Carroll, but he’s a plus right field defender in his own right, and Arizona may not want to rankle things by flipping two outfielders to positions they haven’t been playing this season.

While some top prospects get the call without a path to a clear everyday role — typically when they’re filling in for an injured player — that’s not the case with Waldschmidt. Thomas’ removal from the 40-man roster and the lack of any clear everyday outfield alternatives gives him an immediate everyday opportunity and a chance to cement himself as a long-term piece in the outfield mix right out of the gate.

More to come.