Yankees send Billy McKinney to Pirates for international pool money
Billy McKinney of the New York Yankees homers against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 3, 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Yankees sent outfielder Billy McKinney to the Pirates for international bonus pool space, they announced Friday.
McKinney, who was cut by the Yankees after last season, had been re-signed to a minor-league deal on Dec. 9. That had not been listed among the official transactions on his MLB.com page before this deal.
Now, though, McKinney again is a former Yankee. In exchange for the lefthanded-hitting outfielder, the Yankees received not actual money but rather permission to spend extra money on signing bonuses for international free agents.
They used that additional allotment to sign Dominican catcher Justin Capellan for $450,000, according to a report from YES Network.
McKinney, 29, appeared in 48 games for the Yankees in 2023, posting a .227/.320/.406 slash line.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
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