The Yankees have opened up four 40-man roster spots and lost three players on waivers, announcing Friday that outfielder Tim Locastro was claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox, outfielder Greg Allen was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and infielder Andrew Velazquez was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels.
Also, the Yankees outrighted catcher Rob Brantly to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he refused the assignment and elected free agency.
Locastro was acquired on July 1 from Arizona, but played in just nine games (hitting .190) before tearing his ACL and missing the remainder of the season.
Velazquez, who had signed a minor-league deal prior to the season, became a fan favorite in the Bronx after being called up. The 27-year-old became the first Bronx native to play for the Yankees, and he hit .224 and made some stellar defensive plays in his 28 games in pinstripes.
Brantly joined the organization late in 2020 and made it to the Bronx in 2021 as a COVID-19 replacement player. The 32-year-old was 3-for-20 (.150) in six games and was added to the 40-man roster officially to be on the Wild Card Game roster as a third catcher.
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Allen, 28, also made his mark as a COVID replacement player, hitting .270 and stealing five bases in 15 games. He, too, was added to the 40-man roster officially to be a part of the Wild Card Game roster.
With those three departures, two players becoming free agents, and two options declined, the Yankees now have 35 players on the 40-man roster and five who must be removed from the 60-day injured list by Sunday’s roster deadline – meaning more moves are coming if the team makes any moves in free agency.
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