Key piece of Mariners' Eugenio Suárez trade is already locked in for Diamondbacks

The Seattle Mariners won’t be losing sleep over their aggressive moves at the 2025 trade deadline. Adding bats like Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez was a clear push for October, and no one in the front office is second-guessing it. But if you glance across the league to see what the Mariners gave up in those deals, one name is already turning heads.

Tyler Locklear, the Mariners’ No. 9 prospect at the time of the deal, was sent to Arizona along with right-handers Hunter Cranton (No. 16) and Juan Burgos (No. 17) in the trade that brought Suárez to Seattle. And it hasn't taken long for Locklear to make himself comfortable in the desert.

Former Mariners prospect already thriving after deadline trade to D-Backs

Locklear was red-hot in Triple-A Tacoma before the trade and that streak has continued in Arizona. He launched his first home run with the Diamondbacks on Monday, and it didn’t come cheap. It was a towering shot that served as both a statement and a reminder of what he’s capable of.

It’s hard not to be happy for him. The 24-year-old has been grinding in the minors since he was selected in the 2nd round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Despite a few brief stints in the big leagues with Seattle, he never really got a consistent shot. Even as he tore up the Pacific Coast League in June and July, the Mariners stuck with veterans like Donovan Solano. That said plenty. And now that Locklear’s in Arizona? He already looks right at home.

“Everybody here’s been great, welcoming me with open arms,” Locklear told Michael Wagaman at MLB.com. “This locker room is really good, we got a good group of guys.”

He added: “Thankfully I was able to come into a locker room like this, be welcomed with open arms, so it was really cool.”

There’s also something to be said about the environment. T-Mobile Park can be a dead zone for right-handed power, while Chase Field plays a bit more fair, especially in the heat of summer. Anyone questioning whether Locklear’s pop was real should consider how many balls die on the warning track in Seattle. He had power. Now he has a chance to really show it.

Meanwhile, Suárez is off to a slow start in his return to the Pacific Northwest. Through his first five games, he’s gone just 2-for-17 with five strikeouts and no walks. Of course, it’s early. The Mariners didn’t acquire him for five games. But the contrast is hard to ignore.

That doesn’t mean Seattle will regret the trade. Naylor and Suárez fill massive needs and raise the floor of this lineup. But it also doesn’t mean Locklear won’t thrive in his new home.

The Mariners made a choice. The Diamondbacks may have locked in their reward.