Tyler

Locklear

There isn’t a ton of competition for at-bats at the cold corner in Seattle beyond Luke Raley and top prospect Tyler Locklear, so this is actually a pretty decent landing spot for Shenton after he was cut loose earlier this week by the Rays. The 26-year-old first baseman, who was originally a fifth-round pick by the Mariners in the 2019 MLB Draft, batted .214/.340/.405 with one homer in 50 plate appearances last year in the big leagues, but he blasted 20 homers in just 83 games at Triple-A Durham.

Locklear’s time in the majors did not go well the second time around, and the 23-year-old will head to Tacoma with Justin Turner activated for Tuesday’s tilt against the Red Sox. Locklear still has long-term appeal, but he didn’t look close to ready in an admittedly small sample.

Turner brings a .254/.349/.371 line with him to Seattle. Odds are that he’ll fare a little worse while playing half of his games in arguably baseball’s toughest ballpark for hitters, but we’ll see. He’ll serve as a first baseman and DH for the Mariners. Jason Vosler, Tyler Locklear and Mitch Garver might all have to fight it out for time the other spot. That’s bad for Garver, but he will remain the team’s backup catcher.

Locklear didn’t exactly tear the cover off the ball last month in a brief 11-game cameo for the Mariners, batting .200 (6-for-30) with two homers and one steal. However, he’s going to get some extended runway to at least showcase his power and patience profile at the highest level in the wake of Seattle’s decision to designate veteran first baseman Ty France for assignment. The 23-year-old top prospect has displayed strong plate skills in the upper minors over the last few years and can do some serious damage when he decides to get aggressive. Based on his first stint in the big leagues, there’s probably going to be an initial adjustment period here as he acclimates to everyday life in the majors. However, once he gets comfortable, there’s an opportunity for him to emerge as a certifiable middle-of-the-order force for the Mariners, which gives him some appeal for fantasy managers, especially in deeper mixed leagues.

It sounds like if Ty France isn’t claimed on waivers, then he’ll be sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma. Locklear performed decently in his first taste of big-league action, hitting .200/.250/.433 with a pair of homers, three RBI and a stolen base in 32 plate appearances over 11 games. He’s probably worth a look in deeper mixed leagues now that he’ll receive a chance to play every day.

With Jorge Polanco coming off the IL, the Mariners optioned Locklear to Triple-A to make room on the roster. The 23-year-old was hitting just .200/.250/.433 in 11 games with two home runs, three runs, three RBI, and one steal. He was also sporting a 37.5 percent strikeout rate, so he’ll now head back to the minors to try his swing-and-miss in check.

Polanco has not been off to a good start in 2024, hitting just .195/.293/.302 this season. He will seemingly replace Ryan Bliss at second base even though Bliss is hitting .295/.354/.477 in 18 games in June with one home run and four RBI. Perhaps Polanco won’t have a long leash, but it seems like he’ll be back in the starting lineup this week. Tyler Locklear was sent to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

With the Mariners facing left-hander Logan Allen, Locklear will play first base and Ty France will be at designated hitter with Luke Raley sliding to the bench. The Mariners kept Locklear on the roster with France being activated, so it appears Locklear will be in the starting lineup against left-handed pitchers moving forward. The Mariners will also start Victor Robles in left field and Ryan Bliss at second base with Dominic Canzone and Josh Rojas moving to the bench against a lefty.

France missed just the minimum time on the injured list despite suffering a fractured heel. Interestingly, the Mariners aren’t sending Tyler Locklear — France’s replacement — to Tacoma as the corresponding transaction, but instead designated catcher Seby Zavala for assignment. The question now is what kind of role Locklear will have, as France is expected to resume the regular role as starting first baseman.

Ty France’s return is just around the corner, but Locklear is making a case to stick around afterwards as a platoon DH, even if his 12/1 K/BB in 29 plate appearances is hideous. After all, he’s now tied for third on the Mariners with his two homers. Not truly, but you believed it for a second, didn’t you?