When the Dodgers made a seemingly minor trade in July 2015, I do not think anyone paid any special attention to Tim Locastro. He came over from the Blue Jays along with Chase DeJong in exchange for international bonus pool slots. DeJong later went to Seattle in another minor trade in March of last year. While Locastro’s name was quickly forgotten, he is making a name for himself at the minor league level.

Locastro naturally profiles as an everyday lead-off man. At just over six feet tall, he might be a bit larger than your average leadoff type hitter. But the numbers are certainly there. Since being drafted in 13th round of the 2013 Amateur Draft, Locastro has stolen 144 bases. In 2017 alone, he slashed 308/383/454 en route to stealing 34 bases that season. Those sort of numbers at the major league level could prove vital to a Dodgers’ lineup looking for a jolt.

Think about the last time the Dodgers had a true leadoff man in their lineup. Los Angeles has not had a player break the 20 stolen base mark in a single season since Dee Gordon stole 64 back in 2014. In fact in 2016 the stolen base leader was Howie Kendrick. He only stole 10 bases. Not that stealing bases is vital to a team’s success, but it certainly helps at the top of the lineup.

Chris Taylor has done an excellent job at the top of the lineup for Los Angeles, as he is their temporary fix. But with his ability to drive the ball into the gaps and out of the park, Taylor fits better as a sixth or seventh hitter in this strong lineup. Especially given his 2017 OBP of 354 was the only season he has ever broken the 300 mark.

As of Monday, Tim Locastro is slashing 385-448-500 at AAA Oklahoma City. He has only played 8 games, but 10 hits in that span sure looks good. As it stands, Locastro has played Shortstop, Second base, Leftfield, and centerfield. He has the versatility of Kike Hernandez combined with the speed of Chris Taylor, making him a great call-up option.

Analysis

Perhaps you are one of the many calling for the inevitable promotion of Andrew Toles, and rightfully so. But do not look past Tim Locastro. He is going to be a huge part of this lineup someday soon. Perhaps even this season.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”samewindow” url=”https://www.dodgersnation.com/los-angeles-recap-max-muncy-pedro-baez-and-goodbye-kings-bs0193/2018/04/21/”]Best Coast Show Podcast [/button]