The New York Yankees have added another prospect into the
fold for spring training camps and his name is Billy McKinney. If the name
Billy McKinney seems familiar it is because McKinney was one of the four
players that the Yankees acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Aroldis Chapman
trade from last summer. McKinney, now 22-years old, will join the Yankees
spring camps after spending time at Double-A Trenton with the Trenton Thunder
after the trade.
McKinney is with the team because Jacoby Ellsbury is on
leave while his wife gives birth to their child, because Mason Williams is
currently shut down with left patellar tendinitis and because Tyler Austin will
miss most or all of the spring training camp this season after fracturing the
navicular bone in his left foot.
McKinney hit .234
with three home runs and 13 RBI in 35 games with the Thunder last year and will
likely begin the 2017 season back in Trenton assuming he does not make the team
out of spring training, which he will not.
I am really hopeful that he finds his way at Trenton this year. It seems weird that you'd be at a 'make it or break it' point at 22 years of age, but it is what it is. He was born in the same town as my daughter, just a couple months apart, so I'd love to see the Texan succeed.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading your quick hit on the loss of lefty Richard Bleier. It's not so much about losing the DFA as it is an inter-division trade with the Orioles. Bleier's obviously not going to become LOOGY Extraordinaire, but I didn't expect the Yankees to be trading partners with the O's, even if it is for the undefined 'player to be named later'.
ReplyDeleteBleier is not really a huge loss in my eyes. Even if he did go to the Baltimore Orioles. The fact that he was even traded within the division shows you what the Yankees think of him.
DeleteBleier may not even make the team out of spring training. He couldn't hack it on the Yankees who blaringly obviously need left-handed relief pitching.. so let that sink in.
Bookmark this, I may be eating crow by June or July but for some reason I have a sneaking suspicion that I won't be. Just my two cents.