3 NY Mets CF targets to help fill the gap until Carson Benge is MLB ready

2) Lane Thomas

Lane Thomas became a fixture in the Washington Nationals outfield after the St. Louis Cardinals traded him to the Nation’s Capital for Jon Lester at the 2021 trade deadline. Over 1777 plate appearances, Thomas batted .257/.320/.439 with a .327 wOBA, and 107 wRC+. His 7.7% walk rate and 24% K% may not jump off the page, but he hit for above-average power, with a .182 ISO. He also swiped 60 bases and had a 20/20 season in 2023, when he went yard 28 times and stole 20 bases.

The Nats then traded Thomas to the Cleveland Guardians at the 2024 trade deadline, but his tenure there was a disaster. He only stepped to the dish 329 times, and hit a poor .189/.258/.340 with a .262 wOBA, and 69 wRC+. While he maintained a 7.9% walk rate, he was striking out nearly a third of the time, with a 33.1% K%. Thomas suffered multiple injuries throughout the year, including a bone bruise in April, plantar fasciitis in May and July, which eventually led to foot surgery at the end of September.

Thomas never graded out as a great defensive outfielder, with either the Nats or Guards. During his time with the Nats, he had -15 DRS and -14 OAA between all three outfield spots. When he was on the Guards, he had -4 DRS and -1 OAA. But he does have a powerful arm and consistently ranks around or above the 90th percentile in arm strength.

Thomas became a free agent after the end of the 2025 season. His recent play after getting traded from the Nats to the Guardians has brought his value down, and he will likely have to settle for a low-cost one-year contract. Given how little the Mets would have to commit to an outfielder not far removed from being a quality hitter who can play center field, both in terms of money and years, he’d be a perfect candidate to keep the seat warm until Benge is ready.