Yankees fans react as team trades Billy McKinney to the Pirates for cash considerations: "Yamamoto is coming"
New York Yankees fans are feeling overjoyed as the team has traded Billy McKinney to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations. According to fans, the team is pumping money into acquiring the most sought-after free-agent starting pitcher and Japanese sensation, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
However, there is no official comment from the Yankees on why they traded Billy, but the fans think that the organization is preparing to splurge big.
MLB Insider Mark Feinsand reported that they have traded McKinney for international bonus pool money. Following the tweet, fans stormed to X, formerly Twitter, to give their reasons for why the organization may have done so:
"Yamamoto is coming," one fan said.
"Japan seems incredibly international," another quipped.
Here are a few other fan reactions on X:
McKinney spent the 2023 season in the Yankees system before signing a minor-league contract to return to the team earlier this winter. He should provide depth in the Pirates' outfield, but barring injury, is unlikely to see regular playing time.
Yankees have a backup plan if Yoshinobu Yamamoto signing doesn't fall through
Yoshinobu Yamamoto's sweepstakes is one of the hottest topics going around after the LA Dodgers landed Shohei Ohtani on a blockbuster deal. The Japanese sensation's stellar resume in the pro leagues offers a lot of upsides to MLB teams.
However, according to Jon Heyman, the Yankees are keeping a close eye on Japanese southpaw Shota Imanaga if they fail to land Yamamoto:
"The Yankees are considering Japanese lefty Shota Imanaga if they don’t land Yoshinobu Yamamoto," Jon Heyman said in his NY Post article.
Imanaga's services may be overshadowed by Yamamoto's free agency, but he is coming off an excellent year for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in 2023. His last two pro seasons have made waves in the baseball world. The 5-10, 176-pounder tossed 148.0 innings with a 2.80 ERA, 174 strikeouts and 24 walks. His previous season was his best, with a 2.32 ERA in 143.2 innings pitched.
It remains to be seen how the Yankees navigate this offseason, build a competitive roster, and contend for the World Series.