The Yankees have re-signed outfielder Billy McKinney and lefty reliever Anthony Misiewicz to minor league contracts, reports Jack Curry of the YES Network. Both players figure to be in big league camp next spring.
McKinney, 29, returns for a third stint with the Yanks. A 2013 first-round pick by the A’s, McKinney found himself traded from Oakland to Chicago in the 2014 Jeff Samardzija trade and from Chicago to New York in 2016’s Aroldis Chapman swap. He debuted in the Bronx in 2018 but was quickly traded a third time, going from New York to Toronto in 2018’s J.A. Happ deal.
While McKinney was clearly a prospect of note — hence the first-round selection and three organizations targeting him in returns for notable veterans — he hasn’t yet solidified himself in the big leagues. He’s tallied 915 plate appearances but posted a .209/.284/.390 output in that time. That includes a 2023 season spent back with the Yankees after signing a minor league deal; he slashed .227/.320/.406 in 147 plate appearances this past season. In parts of six Triple-A seasons, McKinney is a .271/.354/.511 hitter.
Misiewicz, also 29, has been on five teams in the past calendar year. In the 2022-23 offseason he went from the Royals to the Cardinals in exchange for cash before being traded from St. Louis to Arizona in another cash swap just prior to Opening Day. The Tigers and lastly the Yankees both picked him on subsequent in-season waiver claims. The Yankees non-tendered him last month.
Since making his MLB debut in 2020, Misiewicz has pitched 114 2/3 innings of 4.71 ERA ball over the course of 130 relief appearances. He’s punched out a roughly average 22.8% of his opponents against a strong 7.5% walk rate, but he’s become increasingly susceptible to hard contact over the past three seasons and subsequently been more homer-prone.
The Yankees’ recent trade-market flurry has filled the outfield, with Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo coming to the Bronx to flank Aaron Judge in center field. McKinney has some experience at first base as well, but that’s spoken for by Anthony Rizzo. It’s possible he could earn a bench spot, but if not he’ll open the year in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Similarly, Misiewicz could be ticketed for Scranton to begin the year, although at least at the moment, he has a clearer path to winning a spot on the roster. Nick Ramirez and Matt Krook are the only lefty relievers on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, but that could be addressed with subsequent free agent and/or trade acquisitions now that they’ve overhauled their outfield and lineup.
Thats a funny way to spell ‘Ohtani’.
It wound be absolutely hilarious if it came out that they were the mystery team who’ve signed Ohtani and all this stuff with Verdugo and Soto were intentional distractions to keep it under wraps until it was time to announce it.
If by absolutely hilarious you mean the most instant-sport-killing outcome for me ever imaginable, then yeah, sure, haha!
He’s one player. He only had 6 WAR last season. It’s not like he made the Angels contenders.
Bottom line is: he’s a big shiny object but he’s not truly the difference maker for any team that wasn’t already positioned to potentially win without signing him.
No players is.
Sport killing? The sport will be fine no matter where he goes.
@Trillionaire actually he was a 10 WAR player last season, you only included his hitting stats (which he did in 135 games at that)… He will pitch again in 2025, if not even Sept/Oct of 2024.
@LordD – I’m a lifelong Red Sox fan, and Shohei is my favorite player. I meant it would kill baseball for me, and without question lol.
I am sure his sports killing meaning his personal relationship with sports.
Much more likely
@HighOnPineTar, okay, fair enough! That said, as a Yankee fan who has many Red Sox fan friends, nothing will kill the sport-loving fandom of either fanbase. We will occasionally be stunned, or even knocked down by a shot to the head, but we get back up!
Who needs Soto when you have McKinney?
Who needs McKinney when you have Ben Roverdt as a third string?
Who needs Ben Rortvedt when you can always re-sign 47 year old Bubba Crosby?
I am so glad they didn’t sign Ohtani. He is an amazing player and makes any team better but Hal isn’t George. Hal treats nickels like they were fifties. In 2005 giving out a contract that big compared to the rest of MLB wouldn’t mean a thing to the Yankees. If they signed him now there is no way they could get under the tax for several years. Hal would then put the kibosh any deadline pickups that would cost him more tax and forget about spending Stanton’s money when he is gone on another player. Ohtani would be amazing but would actually hurt more than help because of that contract. Plus he is not Kuroda. He already has one TJS. Which means like other Japanese star pitchers he didn’t adjust his approach after making the jump. Nippon approaches pitching like MLB did in the 80s and 90s. You know back when there was one TJS, the original, for almost a decade. Soto will turn out to be a mistake as well. Sure he will have a fine year in NY. Then head out elsewhere unless the Yankees can dump Stanton. Meanwhile the best prospect talent evaluator in baseball just got to make his pick of the Yankees farm. Guaranteed there is an All Star in there at least one more solid starter and a couple of relief arms that stick in MLB. Cashman once again like the fool he is did a reverse trade with Preller. The rest of baseball takes his prospects. Cashman let’s him cherry pick the farm. 1 championship over his GM career. Yes I know he had 3 in his first 3 years but those belong to Michael. Cashman was handed a juggernaut and slowly watch it slip. One championship since then and that one belongs to the Boss. Hal needs to sell the team and when he does take his pathetic yes man with him.
Did not mean for that to be that long. Sorry
I like this a lot. It’s good to have a healthy competition for everyday AB’s. Should be interesting to see how Mckinney vs Soto shakes out in the Spring.
Like Soto stands a chance against McKinney.
The only remember Billy McKinney because of the Chris Taylor Walk-Off Homerun
Meant to put “I” instead of “The” LOL
I only remember Billy McKinney in “Deliverance”
He was a backup to Ned Beatie.
l couldn’t care less about these small timers.
Sarcasm, maybe? 😉
Billy McKinney looked very good on the Mets I remember.
Loved this guy!
As a Yankees fan, my spirits are lifted by this
Makes the Juan Soto trade redundant, doesn’t it?
Hard to rebut that.
Depthy depth move.
Billy has gone through the works with all these teams. I have a theory that prospects who get traded like this actually struggle to develop. Brinson is another one that comes to mind. Too many hands in the pot trying to adjust this or that in his mental approach or mechanics, or whatever that they end up kind of falling apart instead of leaning into what made them successful to begin with and have a consistent coaching philosophy throughout their development. Idk. Call me crazy and im making this comment from a toilet while those coaches are paid the big bucks. But just got to think, he was suppose to be a can’t miss
100% agree and you never hear much of this angle.
It isn’t talked about. I would think that could have a potential toil mentally and emotionally on a young player.
I believe around 90% of the comments are made while sitting on the toilet…it could be fact checked if MLBTR added an option called MOTO -Message Origin Tracking Option, and while you’re using it, your post will stop and start blinking whit the word “YAMAMOTO” or You Are Making A Message Origin Tracking Option” it’ll be great and informative just to know from where those stupid comments like mine are coming from.
Actually think that’s a great take one that I never thought of before
My favourite thing about MLBTR is that the minor league signings of Billy McKinney and Anthony Misiewicz will get the same sized headline as the Shohei Ohtani decision hopefully on the same day.
Maybe now they can rid the team of Stanton,pay some team to take him off their hands.
I read the headline as Doug Mientkiewicz.
Yankees should stop going after Yoshinobu, they get the great McKinney.
We got back our Billy GOAT!
Billy “New Judge in Town” McKinney is back!
Ah yes, they got their Stanton insurance back.
Like McKinney,for whatever reason,always have.Good to have him back!
McKinney needs a new profession. Great guy but maybe he can coach instead of play
Ole Billy McKinney always gonna be that 5th outfielder and still living the dream most of us would trade for
world series parade, here we come! these players are a must!
LOL