Yankees Sign Speedy Outfielder

It's not the big-time move fans have been waiting for, but the New York Yankees have welcomed back an outfielder to the fold, filling out their 40-man roster by signing speedy Tim Locastro to a one-year deal.

Locastro adds OF depth. Major league deal means he counts against the 40-man which now stands at 40. A trade or two could help clear space. https://t.co/omEa6FCA2X
— Sweeny Murti (@YankeesWFAN) March 13, 2022

Locastro came over to the Yankees late last season from the Arizona Diamondbacks, and got into nine games for the Pinstripers. He's only managed 432 at-bats over parts of five years in the majors, and owns a career .231 batting average, with a .662 OPS.

But he has speed to burn. In fact, Locastro has led MLB in "sprint speed" each of the last three years: 30.8 feet per second in 2019, and 30.7 feet per second in 2020 and 2021. He's also known for breaking Tim Raines' record for most consecutive successful stolen bases to start a career, with 28. In fact, the Baseball Hall of Fame asked for his cleats last April after he broke the record.

Does all this mean that long-time Yankee OF Brett Gardner won't be coming back? Not according to beat reporter Brendan Kuty.

Big-league deal for Tim Locastro. No, this doesn’t preclude the Yankees from bringing back Brett Gardner.
— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) March 13, 2022