Report: Former Yankee outfielder’s contract will be chosen by the Pirates.

According to a report, the Pirates will choose McKinney’s contract. In 2024, this will be McKinney’s first appearance in the major leagues.

The left-handed hitter hit.227/.320/.406 with 6 home runs and 14 RBI during his time with the Yankees. He has a lifetime batting line of.209,.284 and.390 with six major league teams.

He hit.298/.403/.460 with 5 home runs and 18 RBI while playing at Triple-A Indianapolis. However, he has previously had successful seasons with the bat in Triple-A.

McKinney has not yet consistently brought that hitting to the major leagues. He has been persistent, at the very least. In 11 years, he has played in 21 different cities in both the major and minor leagues. Pittsburgh will be the 22nd city.

In December, McKinney was acquired by the Pirates from the Yankees and invited to spring training. Due to his ability to lay out in center field, McKinney appeared to have a chance to break camp with the Pirates for some time.

McKinney’s chances, on the other hand, decreased when the Pirates signed Michael A. Taylor signed a deal worth $4 million. A Related Action Is Coming At this time, the corresponding move is unknown.

To make room for McKinney, someone will need to be taken off the active roster and the 40-man roster. The Pirates put designated hitter Andrew McCutchen on the disabled list on Saturday and called up shortstop Alika Williams from Triple-A to take his place on the roster.

Williams was the obvious choice because Oneil Cruz, the regular shortstop, was having leg problems. On Saturday, Cruz was the designated hitter, and on Sunday, he was back on the field.

The Pirates have too many middle infielders because Cruz can play shortstop for nine innings without incident. After a brief absence, Williams’ return to Triple-A appears likely. Another possibility might have been Jared Triolo. But Friday’s home run might have saved his spot.

How the Pirates See McKinney When Cruz proved to be fit enough to play, it was rumored that a hitter might be called up. Nonetheless, McKinney is an unexpected choice. When the opportunity presented itself, the Pirates may have wanted to look into younger hitters, as previously mentioned.

Billy Cook, Henry Davis, Nick Yorke, and, to a lesser extent, Jack Suwinski appeared to be options. The Pirates’ decision to select McKinney may indicate that they still consider themselves legitimate Wild Card contenders.

McKinney’s prior experience in that situation might be preferable to the Pirates. Concerns regarding a lower back problem with left fielder Bryan Reynolds may have been another factor.

On Saturday, Reynolds was kept out of the lineup and used as the designated hitter on Sunday. While Reynolds recovers, the Pirates may have desired McKinney for his excellent outfield defense.

The spacious left field at PNC Park has been manned by newly acquired Bryan De La Cruz. De La Cruz, on the other hand, is not a good defensive outfielder. Since he was playing right field, he had less ground to cover. After three games in Texas, the Bucs get back for seven games.