Yankees trade Tim Locastro to Diamondbacks for Ronald Roman

The storied Yankees career of Tim Locastro officially came to a close on Wednesday afternoon. The team announced that they traded the outfielder to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for left-handed pitcher Ronald Roman. The move came just days after the Bombers designated Locastro for assignment to make room for DJ LeMahieu.

Roman, 17, signed with the Diamondbacks as part of the 2018 international free agent class. He has yet to make his professional debut. It’s safe to assume, however, that he will begin his career with one of the New York’s Rookie affiliates.

Locastro, meanwhile, joins the list of “offseason only” Yankees. The Bombers acquired the outfielder on November 21st, shipping Drew Finley to the Dodgers in the process. The 26-year-old spent a majority of the 2018 season playing for Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he hit to a 118 wRC+. He had a short stint with the big-league club, but mustered only a .182/.357/.273 (91 wRC+) line at the plate.

Who knows. This trade could be interesting down the line if Roman turns into a prospect — even a fringe one. It wouldn’t be the first time the Yankees transformed a little-known arm into a legitimate option. If there’s one thing the organization can do, it’s develop pitching prospects.