WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Still digesting the full details of his first trade in the Major Leagues, first baseman Tyler Locklear is adamant that the transition from the Mariners to the Diamondbacks has been exceptionally smooth mostly due to the reception he’s received in the clubhouse.
The 24-year-old, who is still officially rookie despite being in his second season, had some fringe knowledge of the Diamondbacks and their players but nothing real concrete in terms of any sort of relationship.
Yet Arizona’s players made Locklear feel like he’d been with the teams for many years, the way he was treated upon his arrival after being part of a trade with the Mariners that shipped two-time All-Star Eugenio Suárez to Seattle.
“Everybody here’s been great, welcoming me with open arms,” Locklear said. “This locker room is really good, we got a good group of guys.”
Locklear’s debut with his new club on Friday night was also his season debut after spending most of the season with Triple-A Tacoma, where he hit 18 home runs in 98 games.
The trade to Arizona opened the door for Locklear’s return to the bigs days after the D-backs traded first baseman Josh Naylor to the Mariners.
Locklear wasn’t expecting to be traded, but shrugged his shoulders when the deal went down. In his short time in the Majors, the 24-year-old has learned clearly that baseball is a business before anything else. As a player or manager, you are part of that business and subject to being traded at the drop of a dime.
So when the Diamondbacks made the deal to acquire him, Locklear was not surprised in the least.
“Just part of it, honestly,” he said. “Thankfully I was able to come into a locker room like this, be welcomed with open arms, so it was really cool.”
How long Locklear remains the D-backs' starting first baseman is unclear. Pavin Smith is making progress in his recovery from a strained right oblique. Manager Torey Lovullo noted that Smith is getting work in the batting cage and taking ground balls.
When Smith gets cleared to come off the injured list, the Diamondbacks will have a decision to make.
For now, the job belongs to Locklear. Like the Diamondbacks welcomed him, he’s fully embracing his new team and teammates.
“I’ve been playing against them the last couple of years in Triple-A, so a couple familiar faces,” Locklear said. “It made it really easy and a comfortable transition.”