The Texas Rangers experienced a turbulent season that ultimately ended in frustration.
For the second consecutive year since capturing the 2023 World Series title, the Rangers failed to reach the playoffs. A late-season surge in September briefly reignited their hopes for a wild card berth and the AL West crown, but those hopes quickly vanished when they dropped eight straight games.
After their season officially came to an end, the Rangers added outfielder Billy McKinney to their roster from Triple-A Round Rock. A former first-round draft pick of the Oakland Athletics in 2013, McKinney has become the definition of a baseball journeyman, having suited up for nine different organizations over the past 12 years.
After appearing in only six games for the Rangers and recording a minus-0.1 wins above replacement, Billy McKinney opted for free agency on Wednesday, as noted in Major League Baseball’s official transactions log.
McKinney’s Major League career has seen him suit up for several teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Oakland Athletics. Over 327 career games, his most productive season came in 2019 with the Blue Jays, when he posted a 0.5 WAR.
McKinney was eligible to hit free agency because he was on a minor-league contract and had more than three years of big-league service time, plus he’d already done so once this year, after he was designated for assignment by Texas on July 4 and wound up re-signing.
Could another reunion be in the cards this time around? Both parties would have to be amenable to it, as McKinney will be looking for the opportunity that offers him the best path to playing time, and Texas needs to guarantee more production from its outfield after a dismal year from Adolis García and an injury-shortened campaign from Evan Carter.
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