The Diamondbacks hired Shaun Larkin away from the rival Los Angeles Dodgers to serve as their new farm director. Here is a look at what Larkin brings to his new organization.

-Jesse Friedman

Getting to know new Diamondbacks farm director Shaun Larkin

After the Diamondbacks' run to the World Series, it came as no surprise that several front office members drew interest for job openings in other organizations over the offseason.

Among them was Josh Barfield, who had served as the club's farm director since 2019 and helped oversee the development of several key major leaguers, including Corbin Carroll, Brandon Pfaadt and Alek Thomas. Ultimately, Barfield landed an assistant general manager role with the Chicago White Sox.

In November, the Diamondbacks announced the hire of their new farm director, Shaun Larkin.

Larkin had spent the past 13 years in various coaching and player development roles within the Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations. He was with the Dodgers from 2016-23, including as field coordinator since 2020.

"He's got an energy about him and a smarts," general manager Mike Hazen said of Larkin in spring training, "and he worked for what I believe to be probably the best-run organization of baseball."

Drafted in the ninth round of the 2002 draft by the Cleveland Indians, Larkin played under current Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo for a portion of his minor-league career. Larkin also crossed paths with Hazen, who worked in scouting and player development with Cleveland from 2001-05.

Larkin and Lovullo kept in touch over the years, including during the Diamondbacks' postseason run last year.

"A grinder baseball player that I appreciated on every level, every single day," Lovullo said of Larkin as a player. "He played the way I played and we had the same mentality, and I certainly appreciated that. As a staff member, he has continued to evolve and he's on the cutting edge of information. He doesn't sit still and he's always trying to help players get better, not only players but the staff members that he's in charge of as well."

When Larkin was approached with the opportunity, he, of course, talked about it with his family, as well as some of his Dodgers colleagues.

Dodgers general manager and former farm director Brandon Gomes was among them.

"It's very much about, like, 'Hey, is this something that you're passionate about?'" Gomes told PHNX Sports. "The farm director role is a beast of a job, and there's a lot of responsibility that comes with it.

"There's a relentless nature to it. So, just talking through it with him on what to expect day to day and to make sure he feels good about the people that he's going to be with."

Larkin already had a positive view of the Diamondbacks organization, given his long-standing friendship with Lovullo and, of course, the fact that the team was coming off a World Series run.

The more information he gathered about the farm system itself and the people he would be working with, the more interested he became.

During Larkin's tenure with Los Angeles, the Dodgers had numerous player development success stories, including those of catcher Will Smith, starting pitcher Walker Buehler and outfielder Cody Bellinger.

When asked about what worked so far at his former employer, Larkin pointed to the importance of developing players not only on the field, but off it as well. He played a prominent role in that regard with the Dodgers.

Said Gomes: "[Larkin] worked closely with our strong mind group and getting back to putting the person first. You have to kind of understand how each player functions and what lands with them and what doesn't and how to present messages, so having that background and that passion in the mental side of things only helps with delivering a message or leading a group."

For a team such as the Diamondbacks that does not often spend in the top half of the league, internal player development — and therefore Larkin's job — are particularly important.

The Diamondbacks do not have the kind of resources that the Dodgers do, but player development, Larkin says, is about more than that.

"You don't have to have a ton of resources and money," Larkin said. "It's not about that. It's just being the best with what you have, and dominating with what we have."