Ex-Cub McKinney joins Trenton after Chapman trade
TRENTON >> With flamethrower Aroldis Chapman gone from the Bronx, traded to the Chicago Cubs on Monday in exchange for four minor leaguers, a chain reaction has been set off in the Yankees’ farm system.
One of those moving parts has joined Double-A Trenton.
Outfielder Billy McKinney, a 21-year-old former first-round draft choice of the Oakland A’s in 2013, was in Thursday’s lineup batting fifth and playing right field against Altoona.
“I’ve been traded before, so it wasn’t too big of a whirlwind for me,” McKinney said prior to the game at Arm & Hammer Park. “I’m kind of used to it. Just really honored to be traded for a guy like Chapman and looking forward to have the opportunity to join the team and hopefully win.”
A secondary piece in the Chapman deal behind elite shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres, McKinney has earned plenty of his own acclaim during his four minor league seasons.
McKinney rated as highly as No. 34 overall last season by MLB.com prior to suffering a hairline fracture of his kneecap in mid-August. The 6-foot1, 205-pounder was the Cubs’ fifth-ranked prospect prior to the deal, and Baseball America rated McKinney as the 15th-best corner outfielder prospect in March.
MLB.com’s current scouting report summarizes, “Most of McKinney’s value comes from his bat. He’s a decent athlete with fringy speed and arm which doesn’t make him much of a factor on the bases or in the outfield.” More from MLB.com: “For most of his pro career, McKinney has displayed a quick left-handed swing, tremendous hand-eye coordination and mature approach. But he hasn’t looked the same in 2016, with his bat appearing slower as he has made less hard contact than usual. He draws enough walks to record healthy onbase percentages, though some evaluators question how much over-the-fence power he’ll develop.”
In 88 games with DoubleA Tennessee of the Southern League, McKinney slashed .252/.355/.677 (batting average, on-base percentage, onbase plus slugging) with one home run, 12 doubles and 31 RBI.
And in 1,356 career at-bats in Double-A, Advanced-A, Short Season-A and Rookie Ball, McKinney has a .364 onbase percentage with 22 home runs and 76 doubles.
“I feel like I’ve learned something new every day,” McKinney said. “I’ve been traded for, broke my knee last year, so I’ve been through a lot. I hope I’ve been progressing well. Just trying to learn and take stuff in every day.”
Including the Northeast, a region McKinney has scarce knowledge of as a Dallas native and Plano West Senior High School graduate. McKinney played only nine games with Oakland’s Short-Season A affiliate in Vermony. He said he has visited New York a couple times with family and been to New Jersey once or twice.
So when when McKinney heard Monday’s trade news, he anxiously anticipated the future.
“I was looking forward to the next challenge,” McKinney said. “It was cool seeing that, and being able to have the opportunity to come to the Yankees was pretty cool. So I was looking forward to that, and just a fresh start.” Thunder debut, ripping a tworun double down the left field line in his first at-bat. The Dominican born player was batting .266 with six home runs and 20 stolen bases in 93 games this season with Tampa.