The Pittsburgh Pirates are reportedly calling up an outfielder prior to the Texas Rangers series.
The Pittsburgh PIrates are reportedly calling up an outfielder, as they took to add depth at that position group at the MLB level.
Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that outfielder Billy McKinney will join the Pirates prior to the Texas Rangers series and that he expects the franchise to add him to the 40-man roster before Monday’s game.
The Pirates landed McKinney in a trade with the New York Yankees for cash considerations on Dec. 14, 2023.
He has played in 40 games for the Indianapolis Indians at Triple-A, slashing .295/.396/.450 with 38 hits in 129 at-bats, five walks, five home runs, 18 RBIs, and 21 walks to 35 strikeouts.
McKinney also played six games with the Greensboro Grasshoppers at High-A during a rehab assignment.
He starred for Plano West High School in Plano, Texas, near Dallas, leading the Oakland Athletics to take him with the 24th overall pick in the First Round of the 2013 MLB Draft, signing a $1.8 million bonus.
McKinney went to the Chicago Cubs in a trade in 2014 and then to the New York Yankees in another trade in 2016. He made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2018, before they traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays that season.
He spent the 2019 season with the Blue Jays before they designated for assignment during the 2020 season, where the Milwaukee Brewers claimed him off waivers. The Brewers designated McKinney for assignment in May 2021 and traded him to the New York Mets.
The Mets would trade McKinney to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July 2021, but they would non-tender him, making him a free agent.
McKinney signed a minor league deal with the A’s, playing 23 games with them at the MLB level. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees and would play 48 games in 2023 at the MLB level, slashing .227/.320/.406 adding 6 home runs and 14 RBIs.
He has slashed .209/.284/.390 in his MLB career, with 171 hits in 818 at-bats, 36 doubles, five triples, 34 home runs, 86 RBIs and 83 walks to 240 strikeouts.
Outfielders in Joshua Palacios and Andrew McCutchen are both on the Injured List, leading to McKinney getting a shot to prove his worth at MLB level for the Pirates.