Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Bolster Outfield Depth, Bring Back Tim Locastro on One-Year Deal

Locastro played in nine games with the Yankees last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Max Goodman

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As members of the Yankees trickled into camp on Sunday, a familiar face stuck out in the crowd.

Outfielder Tim Locastro, who spent a few weeks in pinstripes last season before his campaign was cut short by a knee injury, was spotted by reporters at George M. Steinbrenner Field. 

Later on Sunday afternoon, the Yankees made it official, announcing the team had signed Locastro to a one-year Major League deal

In 2021, the 29-year-old batted .180 (25-for-139) with 15 runs, four doubles, two homers, seven RBI and five stolen bases across 64 combined games between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Yankees. New York acquired the outfielder in July. Less than a month later, the New York native was out for the rest of the year, suffering a torn ACL while making a leaping catch against the wall at Yankee Stadium.

Even if Locastro provided a spark to the big-league club during his brief stint last summer, both parties went their separate ways this past offseason. Locastro was claimed off waivers by the rival Red Sox in November. That didn't last long, though. The outfielder was non-tendered just a few weeks later.

Now, Locastro rejoins the Bombers once more, projecting to serve as a fourth or fifth outfielder off the bench. His elite speed and defensive versatility (playing all three positions in the outfield) can be very valuable for this club in 2022 after the Yankees said goodbye to utility man and speedster Tyler Wade this past offseason (trading him to the Angels).

While Locastro's presence could be a precursor to the end of Brett Gardner's career in pinstripes—making the veteran's return to come off the bench even less of a necessity—Yankees manager Aaron Boone assured Sunday that he isn't ruling out a reunion with New York's longest-tenured player just yet.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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