The Mets have launched outfielder Billy McKinney from his minor league contract with the membership, as famous by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. McKinney signed a minor league deal with the membership again in March.
Chosen twenty fourth total by Oakland again in 2013, McKinney was as soon as a consensus top-100 prospect who was included in two main trades earlier than making his large league debut: first he was a part of the package deal (headlined by Addison Russell) that the Cubs acquired in return for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammell from the A’s, after which simply two years later he was a part of the package deal (headlined by Gleyber Torres) that Chicago despatched to the Bronx in trade for Aroldis Chapman. After that whirlwind of trades, McKinney lastly settled in with the Yankees lengthy sufficient to make his large league debut throughout the 2018 season.
Sadly, by that time McKinney’s prime prospect shine had already worn off. He made it into simply two video games with the Yankees earlier than being traded as soon as once more, this time to the Blue Jays alongside Brandon Drury in trade for J.A. Happ. He spent three years with Toronto in whole and acquired right into a mixed 122 video games throughout that point whereas slashing .230/.291/.439. He was DFA’d by the Jays following the 2020 season, nonetheless, and spend 2021 bouncing between a number of golf equipment. He finally appeared in a career-high 116 video games that 12 months however hit simply .192/.280/.358 throughout 300 plate appearances with the Brewers, Mets, and Dodgers earlier than being non-tendered by the Rangers that November.
A return to Oakland on a minor league deal in 2022 didn’t go properly, however McKinney’s return to the Bronx in 2023 injected some life again into his profession when he hit a strong .227/.320/.406 after being chosen to the roster in June of that 12 months following an damage suffered by Aaron Decide. McKinney’s roughly league common efficiency didn’t hold him on the membership’s 40-man roster all through the offseason, nonetheless, and he was outrighted off the 40-man and elected free company that November. He initially re-signed with the Yankees on a minor league deal however was traded to the Pirates shortly thereafter. He hit .299/.406/.460 on the Triple-A stage for the Pirates earlier than being referred to as as much as the majors in August, although his lackluster 52 wRC+ in ten video games wasn’t near sufficient to earn him a extra steady function with the group.
After being outrighted final September and as soon as once more electing free company, McKinney discovered himself unsigned till late March, when he landed with the Mets on the aforementioned minor league pact. Now in his age-30 season, McKinney struggled even with the membership’s Syracuse affiliate this 12 months, hitting simply .184/.285/.307 throughout 130 journeys to the plate in 33 video games on the Triple-A stage this 12 months. That was sufficient for the Mets to resolve to half methods with McKinney, and he’ll now return to free company in the hunt for a contemporary alternative elsewhere. As a depth possibility with the power to deal with first base and all three outfield spots, it’s not arduous to think about a membership bringing him in on a contemporary minor league deal, whether or not that’s to see if they will faucet into the potential that made him a prime prospect a decade in the past or just to fill out their Triple-A depth chart.
