New York Mets reportedly confirm the release of another outfielder

The New York Mets are parting ways with a former New York Yankees outfielder who has spent the entire 2025 season in the minors.

According to Michael Mayer of Metsmerized Online, the Mets have released 30-year-old outfielder. In 33 games and 130 plate appearances with Triple-A Syracuse this season, McKinney posted a .184/.285/.307 slash line, hitting three home runs and driving in nine RBIs.

McKinney signed a minor league contract with the Mets in March but didn’t make any appearances in Grapefruit League games during spring training.

The 30-year-old outfielder has had multiple stints with the Yankees’ organization. His first came in July 2016 when the Chicago Cubs traded him to New York as part of a deal that also included Gleyber Torres, Adam Warren, and Rashad Crawford, in exchange for Aroldis Chapman.

 

At one point, McKinney was ranked as a Top 100 prospect by Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, and MLB.com. He made his MLB debut with the Yankees on March 30, 2018, going 1-for-4 in his first game. He also appeared in the team’s next game against the Toronto Blue Jays, but those would be his only appearances for the Yankees that season.

McKinney was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2016 trade deadline as part of a package for left-handed pitcher J.A. Happ.

His next stint with the Yankees came in 2023, after signing a minor league deal that offseason. In 48 major league games that year, McKinney posted a .227/.320/.406 slash line over 147 plate appearances, hitting six home runs and driving in 14 RBIs.

A former first-round pick by the Oakland Athletics in 2014, McKinney has also played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Over the course of his career, he has compiled a .209/.284/.386 slash line, with 34 home runs, 88 RBIs, and four stolen bases across 321 games and 943 plate appearances.