PHNX Arizona Diamondbacks Podcast - D-backs After Dark: FAFO When You DFA Alek Thomas

Episode Date: May 11, 2026

The Arizona Diamondbacks made a surprise move on Friday, selecting their number one overall prospect Ryan Waldschmidt and designating Alek Thomas for assignment. Derek and Rok discuss their reactions to the move, why nostalgia makes it difficult to be logical about players, and how conflicted Waldschmidt’s impact on the D-backs series win over the Mets makes them. Limited-time offer! Become a Diehard for just $36: https://gophnx.com/intro-offer-youtube WHILE SUNS ARE IN PLAYOFFS Limited-time offer! Become a Diehard for just $32: https://gophnx.com/suns-playoff-offer-youtube JOIN THE SUPPORTERS CLUB ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/yc6km2r4 An ALLCITY Network Production SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtube ALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsports MERCH https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/phnx-locker ALLCITY Network, Inc. aka PHNX and PHNX Sports is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Phoenix PHNX Events: Get your tickets to PHNX events and takeovers here: https://gophnx.com/events/ ALLCITY — including us here at PHNX — is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for an exciting three-year partnership. To learn more, visit https://www.bbbs.org/allcity/ Branded Bills: Use code BBPHNX at https://www.brandedbills.com/ for 15% off your first order! Husband & Wife Law Team: If you’ve had a serious injury, Call The Husband & Wife Law Team first at 602-783-8841 or visit https://husbandandwifelawteam.com/?utm_source=allcity-padcasts&utm_medium=digital-phx&utm_campaign=allcityShowNotes bet365: https://www.bet365.com/hub/en-us/app-hero-banner-1?utm_source=affiliate&utm_campaign=usapp&utm_medium=affiliate&affiliate=365_03485317 Use the code PHNX365 to sign up, deposit $10 and bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets! Disclaimer: Must be 21+ and physically located in AZ.  If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-NEXT-STEP, text NEXTSTEP to 53342 or visit https://problemgambling.az.gov/ Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Shady Rays: Head to https://shadyrays.com and use code: PHNX for 40% 2+ pairs of off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated 5 stars by over 300,000 people. Circle K: Join Inner Circle for free by downloading the Circle K app today! Head to https://www.circlek.com/store-locator to find Circle Ks near you! When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You are now listening to PHNXD BACs after dark. I don't think I've ever been as conflicted by a move as I am about the Diamondbacks designating Alec Thomas for assignment, bro. I mean, obviously we had said just the day before that something needed to change when it came to Alec, right? So I would be a fucking hypocrite if I would just sit here and be like, I didn't want Alex Thomas off this team because I didn't. did. I just didn't think I wanted him to be designated for assignment, considering he had a minor

league option left. Yeah. It's interesting that that's the, that's the path that they chose. But as we're going to get into, I think they may have done that for a reason. They went about it the way they did for us for a reason. So, but let's not get it twisted. When I got the news across, you know, the old social media that I was just like, not my short king. Yeah. Not my short Mexican king. Not being on the 2023, you know, team that went to the World Series, right? When you were a part of that team, it's like Olive Garden.

When you're here, your family. And that's what makes it so hard when guys that are from that team have to be, struggle to the point where you don't feel like they have value anymore. I don't think I was ready to classify AT as that. I think it was just more of struggles. But again, we were fucking kidding ourselves, Rock. We might have been kidding ourselves. Like, let's say this.

Let's put this out there. Neither one of us want this to be the end of Alec Thomas's career. And I think that this is the ultimate, like, we want you to go somewhere else and prove everyone wrong and have a great career. You know what I mean? but AT had like a 1.3 career war, you know, and that's not good. And we're talking about way more than a small sample size. We're talking about way more than this just being a slump. It sucks, but it was the right move.

However, that that right move, in my opinion, was replacing him on the Major League roster. It wasn't designating him for assignment, putting them out there available for 29 other teams now to potentially make a trade for or to acquire, right? And so I was present the other night when Mike Hazen discussed with media his reasons behind this. And he was very firm as to this almost being like a learning experience in a way for Alec Thomas. Like he didn't he did not feel like. like sending him down to the miners was going to send the message that this has gone so, I guess, off course for AT, that this could be potentially the end of his career,

like his major league career, right? Who knows what else he could do in baseball? But this could be the end of his major league career. I think that, I think that Mike Hazen did this as a big wake-up call to AT. And I did, like he said, if he clears. waivers and 29 other teams pass him, then it kind of shows him where he's at, like almost that he has so little worth that 29 other teams are going to pass on trying to acquire him, right? But then he also said that he's already received calls, which makes it sound like he's not

going to be passed up by 29 other teams. So I'd be surprised if he, I would be surprised if he, if there's a, if there's a, if there's there's not another team out there that needs an Alec Thomas type player, you know. Right. And I mean, I mean, honestly, man, you're right. His production at the plate has been atrocious. I mean, I was at the game Thursday. He had an at-bat, an opportunity where if he gets a base hit, it changes the course of that game.

And I believe he grounded into a double play, which changed the course of the game the wrong way. And I mean, he also had a defensive miscue in the Chicago series in a game that we might have won had the had the cubs not scored on that and not kept that inning right going so it's like it's not just the offense it's the defense it's a lot and i love a t man he no no matter what happens with at he in as far as diamond back history he has a top probably top five top three hit moment moment offensive moment in diamond back history that home run off of kreik kimbrosey game seven NLCS

bro are you kidding me like that every time I see that that home run trot I love the home run trot so I I hope he's not done I wish he was still here

I understand it you know you gotta do what you got to do and his exit opened up the door for our guy Walshman and it's been incredible I mean

here we sit now at the end of this Met series. The Diamondbacks take two out of three. Very close series. They win game two by a score of two to one. They win game three, five to one. They got some incredible pitching in all three games.

But what they also got was Ryan Walschmidt being one of the most productive members of their starting lineup. This wasn't like a, and they said it. This was something that Hazen also said in that same media availability. Ryan Walshment is not the savior. of this team. No. Are you sure about that?

Are you sure? Because Ryan Waldschmidt had three RBI on Sunday. He did it for the moms out there. He did. And not only did he have three RBI, he also had a run scored. So with the Diamondbacks five run a board, and a hell of a catch.

Well, and here's the thing. You could argue that it's a push defensively, right? Let's just say you could argue. Sure. Maybe, maybe Barroso. makes that play. Maybe Lord just makes that play. I'm doubtful either guy makes that play, to be honest.

If Waldie wasn't in left field, I'm doubtful that that play gets made by either of the guys that would have been out there should, if Alec Thomas was in center field. But what I will say is that this offense, even in Saturday's game that they won two to one has sucked, has been dreadful, right? And Walschmidt has been already a huge catalyst. in that but when you take a look at Sunday's game specifically he himself was directly involved in four out of the five runs scored and you know again you're talking about instead of that happening potentially a guy that was hitting softly to the right side once again or hitting into double plays is hitting is hitting in that same spot in the lineup yeah and this is a different game

this is a this is a different series potentially overall like it's yeah it's just amazing the impact Waldschmidt has had. That takes me back to why I'm so conflicted about this. I feel like this sucks and was drastic for Alec Thomas. But maybe it's just us as fans. Maybe it's just, and not all of the fans, because so many fans were clamoring for AT to be DFA'd and, you know, cut from the team or spent down. But it just feels like that nostalgia, you hold on to it.

More importantly, I feel like you don't want to be burned by cutting base. on a guy that then you go see have success elsewhere. It's just hard to imagine that for Alec, that he's suddenly going to become a different player just because he goes to a different team, considering what we've already seen out of him. What Jake McCarthy is doing in Colorado, though, makes me also question everything, you know,

and makes me just wonder, is this more about, you know, guys struggling in this particular offense based on what is being asked of them? Or is it just like sometimes that a change of scenery and that wake-up call is the thing you need in life in order for you to get the best out of you? I don't know what the answer is.

I mean, there's that. And there's also the fact that if you're a Diamondback outfielder, I mean, if you really think about it for the next, I mean, for the next couple seasons and foreseeable future on one side, like Corbyn Carroll's your everyday right-fielder. That's covered. Yeah, there's one.

I mean, as of right now, I mean, Lordy's not the every day because Lordy's not back to, you know, he's not ready to be an everyday left fielder. But, I mean, you would assume Lawrence Gereal Jr. is probably going to be your everyday left field or, you know, at some point this season. He could also be your D.H. Or D.H. Center field was kind of open? I mean, I know that was Barrosa out there today?

Was it Barrosa? Yeah, Barrosa's out there today. And Brosa, again, he has not been hitting much better than what Alec Thomas was hitting. to be honest, right? So Barrosa, Barrosa's time might also be short-lived once Jordan Lawler returns. Does he have a, I would assume Barrosa has an option or two, or he would just be bone gone? He does not have any option. I like the little. I say the little guy. It sounds so disrespectful, but no, I know. I know. I like him. I really do like, I do like Barossa. I do like he's scrappy.

But see, here, herein lies the problem is that this, again, takes me back to the nostalgia thing. You're right. We become fans of guys. Like, Brose hasn't even done much, but you just kind of become a fan of his. You became a fan of AT. You became a fan of Alec Thomas because of, you know, who he was, how charismatic he was, the electric celebrations and the way that he... That's like that little poofy-y-air-haired.

You're fucking right. Yeah, I'm dancing around this shit. Let's be honest. Yeah, the greatest fucking hair in baseball coming out of the back of that hat. And again, I, like, I also. have these guys that, you know, we've had on this show or I just have that connection with based on how long they've been here. You root for them. You're like you.

You root for them. You hope they turn it around. But that hope does become foolish at some point, right? That hope. Oh, absolutely does. It passes that point of you actually logically believing that they can turn things around versus just hoping that magically they can. At this point,

with the sample size of what Alec Thomas has done and considering the adjustments he made this off season not really taking and not really, you know, looking like they've made him a better hitter. It's hard to imagine that he can turn things around, right? But baseball of any sport is that game. Just like baseball is any sport that you could come back from what would be considered an insurmountable deficit

or insurmountable deficit and still win a game. You know what I mean? Like you're not coming back back from a 70 to 20, you know, being down 70 to 20 in a basketball game. You're not coming back from that. But baseball, oddly enough, you can come back from being down like 10 to nothing, right? And in baseball, you can oddly enough suddenly go from being a utility infielder that had his best season maybe hitting 280 to being the hottest hitter in baseball,

aka El-A. El-Marro Vargas, right? Same thing with Alec. Like, Alec doesn't have a track record of success, but that doesn't mean that he couldn't suddenly turn things around and at least hit 260, 270 be much better at the plate, but still be the gold glove caliber defender he is in the outfield. And suddenly, this whole thing looks like the dumbest move ever, right? However, you know, that only happens, I feel like, if he leaves, right? If he finds that new place to play. It's like Jake McCarthy. Same thing.

You know, you can't imagine Jake still doing what he's doing for the Rockies here. It would be nice to think that that's the possibility, but it's hard to imagine that this happens to Jake without having that, you know, that thing happened to him that kind of gives him that wake-up call. Yeah. I mean, we're going to see. Do you know what day does he have the clear way? Do you know up until what day it is?

It was seven days. So the move was made on Friday. So you basically. Thursday. Thursday. Yeah. And Mike Hazen said that usually it's actually more five days that they have to get the transactional stuff done on their end.

So we would probably hear something Wednesday, Wednesday-ish. If he was going to or not going to, I would assume. So. And it's hard, again, it's hard to imagine. It's very hard to imagine that he comes back to this team. And if he does, then we should consider. consider ourselves lucky to still have him in the organization. No, I mean, yes.

If you're a fan of this ball club and you've been a fan in the recent years, you have you got to have a soft place in your heart for Alec Thomas, man. If anything, it's that fucking home run that I talked about earlier in the 2023 NLCS, man. That is just, it's just one of that moments, bro. He also doesn't, Yeah, and he doesn't deserve to be like this minor league player. years in the majors, right? He deserves a chance.

So, again, if things don't go his way and for some reason, you know, he clears and comes back to this team, I think the wake-up call will be loud for him. And he can get another opportunity, right? Like, there's nothing to be said about that. But, again, if he goes somewhere else, I think, you know, it's going to be an opportunity for him to, you know, get, get, get that last shot potentially, right. Yeah, you know, it just, it's upsetting, man. And overall, though, I can't be that upset considering that Waldschmidt came in

and not just replaced Alec, but did everything that, you know, spark plug, man. We could have hoped for him to be. Came in, got his first hit on Friday night in a pinch hit situation. Yes, sir. You know, and we talked to him after the game. game. He was just super confident. He referenced his at bat. I think I said this on the show, but he talked about it like he was like referencing his first at bat 20 years after he retired from

the league. You know what I mean? He had he had such a fond kind of memory of it as he was describing it to us. It was almost, you know, it was a full wimsy as he told us, you know, things about, you know, the, you know, coach telling him to take a time out and relax and all of that. It was also great that he got that first at bat in, you know, it got that. first hit just out of the way so that way when he came in and started on saturday and sunday just go out there and play you know and boy did he man and it's just it's really cool to see this kid come in at 23 years old and just instantly factor in and impact games at a major league level he truly did that uh on sunday for sure he was again involved in four out of the five runs in a

five one baseball game yeah talk about that i mean let's let's let's get have a huge huge kudos to to our man erod because i still did not have it on my bingo card that erod was going to do you bro he's i mean for all intents of purposes he's i mean he's got to be considered i know he's not our ace like rotation number wise he's the best picture in the fucking staff there's no doubt about it there's no doubt about it like dealing like dealing and i wish i wish i wish that little blue that little blue pit wouldn't happen in the ninth because i was So he could have gotten that shit out, man. Oh, it would have been great to see a complete game,

especially considering what this starting staff has done, even him. Like, Tori does not want to give himself any credit for that meeting that he had with the starting pitching staff. He says it's 1% him and 99% them. And sure, sure. But whatever he said was a come to Jesus moment for this starting pitch. Dad was mad. Dad was mad. And it's weird because, again, sometimes you need that dad is mad moment.

Like, you need to be checked. Yeah. I think that you and I have a group chat that does that exact thing to us. Every day. On a daily basis, every single day. Every day. And every single one of us, even that superstar Grammy nominated artist Megaran, that's right stays grounded thanks to our group chat right yes you need that and you also i think

need every once in a while to truly be told that you're a bad motherfucker i felt like that's what james mccann came in and did with zack gallon last year you know they talked about a conversation where basically james mccan told zach that he hated hitting off of him as a hitter yeah like like I fucking hated hitting off of you, you know, that kind of thing. And sometimes that reminder is just enough, you know, like when someone, hey, you need to get your fucking teeth kicked in and then you go out there and you just turn the shit around. And I mean, hey, we'll see what happens moving forward.

I'm excited. I mean, I was, I'm glad they took two out of three from the Mets. I wish they were to one Thursday when I was there. But I've come to realize, I've been to four games. back to last season all back up not one once when I've been there no no it's not that's not that's not a good record we might need to ban you from Chasefield I'm not mega ran all right that's true that's true he is that's good keep that man away from our Phoenix sons that keep him all the way away from yeah they have enough problems

yeah they want they want them to throw out a first pitch I'm gonna have to stop that I'm gonna make sure he doesn't do that but hey they'll probably lose 10 in a row after he shows up You ain't wrong. Big shout out to our boy could tell Marte getting that triple today. Hey. Love seeing that. And his first at bat. It was like a 10 pitch at bat that he worked for a walk. Like that's the Marte we love.

That's the Marte we need. We need that guy to take that many pitches. And we needed this offense to do what they did. I know it's against a lowly shitty Mets team. But this Mets team was getting, you know, some wins and was getting their, you know, Like we went against, I mean, I'm pretty sure we, didn't we go against their ace? Yeah, Nolan McLean. I was going to say, like, it's not like we lost that one.

Three, four, and five guys. I mean, we got like their guys. Yeah. Well, the pitching, the pitching for the Diamondbacks has not been the problem. That's the one thing. That's the one thing we can agree on. But that's all we got, man. We got to see how this Alec Thomas situation comes together.

You and I will get back together and we'll chat about this once the, Alec Thomas Saga comes to a conclusion. But until then, you can follow us on social. I'm at cap underscore caveman with a K. My guy Rock is at Rock Knowledge with an R.O.K. Well, it's R.O. and then knowledge. Do not confuse him with DJ Rock Wilder, or he will come find you and dress you down.

But as always, our show is at PHNX underscore Dbacks, but all roads do lead to at PHNX underscore Sports on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Thank you guys for your time. Appreciate you. We'll see you next time. Of course, as always, have yourselves a good rest of your weekend. Happy Mother's Day to the mothers out there. And remember kids, baseball is fun, but it's so much more fun after dark.