With the season on the line, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman executed a move for an outfielder, just not the one most expected. While the Yanks did land an Arizona Diamondbacks player, instead of Ketel Marte, it was Tim Locastro, in exchange for minor-leaguer Keegan Curtis.
The expected utility for Locastro is to start against left-handed pitchers, which should help mitigate fatigue in the outfield. At 28 years old, Tim is a speedster who can dominate on the base paths, stealing 17 bases in 91 games during the 2019 season.
However, up to this point in the year, Locastro has played in 55 games, currently hosting a .178 average with 11 runs and a 19.5% strikeout rate. In 2020, he played in 33 games, hitting .290 with 15 runs. He has shown to be an adequate option at times but offers average defense paired with potential in the batter’s box.
Interestingly, Locastro offers more of a contact hitter than a slugger, which is abnormal from the Yankees’ usual target. While skipper Aaron Boone might be able to extract some value from the former Diamondback, the hope is that management will target a real impact player to help bolster the squad in the coming days.
The Yankees seem to need more support in the starting pitching department and could also use another above-average batter with runners in scoring position.
The Yankees escaped a likely loss on Thursday:
Thankfully, the Yankees game was rained out on Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels, as they prepare to take on the New York Mets at 7:05 PM on Friday. With inclement weather incoming, the Yankees could end up missing two consecutive games, but their quest to climb back into the AL East standings is becoming a bit more strenuous with every passing day. While the Yankees’ contest against the Angels was rescheduled for August 16, the Red Sox pummeled the Royals 15-1, but the Blue Jays did lose to the Mariners.
Currently, the Yankees are nine games back in the AL East, after into just four two weeks ago. In the Wild Card standings, they are 5.5 games back from the Tampa Bay Rays, and unless the Yankees can string together a strong second half of the season, their future as a postseason team is becoming murky.