Gift Ngoepe admits his trade to the Toronto Blue Jayss from the Pittsburgh Pirates came as a surprise, but he says the "new beginning" could be just what he needs to reignite his career.
The 27-year-old South African made history when he debuted for the Pirates against the Chicago Cubs on 26 April, and even managed a base hit off Jon Lester in his first at bat.
However, he wasn't able to kick on and returned to the minors just a few weeks later, so the trade to the Blue Jays may prove a godsend for Ngoepe, who is desperate for more action in the Major League after just 28 games in nine years with Pittsburgh.
"I'm excited for what's ahead, especially being with a new organisation and a new chapter in my life ... new beginnings," Ngoepe told Kwesé TV's Seriously Sports.
"Being at one team can be a little bit limiting at times; this is a new opportunity for me and I'm just going to embrace every aspect of it."
However, the move did come at some personal cost -- Ngoepe's younger brother Victor is still on Pirates' books, meaning the siblings will now see significantly less of each other.
"Yeah, we are going to be far away from each other," Ngoepe says. "When I first broke the news to him he was a little bit .... shocked.
"But he was also happy for me because this is a better opportunity for me."