Mark Grace expects Zack Greinke trade to have emotional impact

Zack Greinke, Torey Lovullo and the rest of the Diamondbacks understand the phrase “sports is a business” – even if its a tad cliche.

But the phrase can certainly be used when discussing the D-backs’ trade of Greinke to the Houston Astros.

Greinke is one of the more quiet, lower-profile locker room presences in baseball. But the sheer magnitude of someone that good, and important to the club, being moved is what former D-back Mark Grace believes could have an impact on the team.

“The competitor in you, for those three hours that you’re playing from that time that you’re at the ballpark, you’re ready to compete. And you’re ready to compete with the guys who are in the locker room with you,” he told 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Doug & Wolf.

Not only was Greinke in the locker room with the team, but was pitching on the mound minutes before the trade.

“Zack Greinke was on the Diamondbacks plane coming back out to Arizona,” Grace said, explaining that the presence of someone now on another team is a tad awkward on the team plane.

Grace also recalled times when his friends were traded and how it affected him.

“It’s emotional. You’re a human being. You have tears in your eyes. You’re going to miss your friends,” he said. “You’re going to miss these guys. You’re going to miss their personality. But you also understand it’s part of the game. It’s just crazy how lives get turned upside down.”

But the D-backs have to move on, and Grace thinks they will.

“It was kind of the same thing when Paul Goldschmidt was traded,” he said. “I thought Archie Bradley said it very well in spring training: ‘Goldy’s no longer here. He’s great and he was great here, but he’s not here anymore and we are the Diamondbacks now,’ and I think that’s the same attitude that they’re going to have.”