Less than one week after signing a minor-league deal to return to the Yankees, outfielder Billy McKinney is headed to the Pirates.
The Yankees traded McKinney to Pittsburgh in exchange for international signing pool money late Thursday night, per Jack Curry of YES Network.
McKinney appeared in 48 games with the Yankees this past season, hitting .226 with a .726 OPS and four home runs. He was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in June, replacing Aaron Judge on the active roster after the captain’s toe injury.
Over his first few weeks in pinstripes this summer, McKinney was practically unstoppable on offense. He had a 1.006 OPS with four homers and a .320 batting average across his first 15 games, reaching base safely in each contest.
It was all downhill from there, though. The veteran outfielder hit .167 with just two extra base hits over the next two months. McKinney’s season ended in late August when he was placed on the injured list with a left lower back spasm.
Even with his rapid regression down the stretch, McKinney’s 101 wRC+ was the highest of any Yankees left-handed hitter that compiled more than 35 plate appearances in 2023. It’s no wonder the Yankees made such an effort to add lefty bats this winter — now the likes of Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham will be getting reps in the outfield next year.
Speaking of Pittsburgh and minor-league deals, the Yankees also agreed to terms with ex-Pirates right-hander Duane Underwood Jr. on Thursday. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was first to report the signing, adding that the reliever received a non-roster invitation to MLB spring training.
Underwood Jr., 29, is entering what will be his seventh big-league season if he’s promoted at any point in 2024. The right-hander made 20 appearances out of Pittsburgh’s bullpen this year, posting a 5.18 ERA. Underwood Jr. has a 4.63 ERA over 144 games in his career, a former second-round pick to the Cubs. He spent parts of his first three MLB…
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