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The hits keep on coming! The Padres have traded righty starter Walker Lockett to the Cleveland Indians as reported by AJ Cassavell in the tweet below.
Hearing RHP Walker Lockett is headed to Cleveland in a deal for a non-40-man Minor League pitcher. The Padres have now cleared two spots on their roster. More moves to come.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) November 20, 2018
The 6’5” Lockett was drafted by the Padres in the 4th round of the 2012 draft out of Providence High School in Jacksonville, Florida. He steadily moved up through the minor league system, peaking with an impressive 2016 season where he 2.96 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 164 innings spread across every level from single-A to AAA. The team selected his contract in November 2016 before that year’s Rule 5 draft. While he was expected to factor into the team’s rotation mix in 2017, injuries limited him to 65 sub-par innings. He came back healthy in 2018 and finally made his MLB debut on June 1st. In four appearances scattered across the second half of the season, Lockett’s MLB 9.60 ERA isn’t pretty but the Indians still see some promise in him.
Lockett’s departure for an as-yet unnamed minor league pitcher clears another spot on the 40-man roster. The rumor mill is churning with hints that Christian Villanueva, Rowan Wick, and others may be leaving the organization soon. We’ll keep you posted as the transactions hit the news wire.