The Brewers announced Monday that they’ve claimed outfielder Billy McKinney off waivers from the Blue Jays, who had designated him for assignment on Friday. He’s been optioned to the Brewers’ alternate training site. Milwaukee also added righty Justin Topa as the 29th man for their doubleheader today and reinstated right-hander Ray Black from the 45-day injured list.
In order to make room on the 40-man roster for McKinney and Black, the Brewers designated right-hander Trey Supak and infielder Ronny Rodriguez for assignment.
The 26-year-old McKinney was a first-round pick (No. 24 overall) by the Athletics back in 2013 and has since bounced around the league in a series of high-profile swaps. Oakland initially sent him to the Cubs as part of the Jeff Samardzija/Jason Hammel trade, but McKinney never made it to the big leagues in Chicago. Instead, the Cubs shipped him to the Yankees alongside Gleyber Torres in 2016’s Aroldis Chapman deadline swap. Nearly two years to the day later, the Yankees flipped McKinney to Toronto as part of their return for lefty J.A. Happ.
McKinney appeared in only two games for the Yankees and has spent the other 122 games of his big league career with the Toronto organization. He’s shown some pop, evidenced by a .209 ISO, 18 homers, 21 doubles and a triple in 407 plate appearances with the Jays, but McKinney has also been prone to strikeouts and infield flies without drawing much in the walk department.
Overall, McKinney is a .231/.291/.437 hitter with a 25.8 percent strikeout rate and a 7.3 percent walk rate in the Majors. He’s drawn average reviews for his glovework in right field and below-average marks in left. McKinney has never played center in the Majors but does have a handful of innings at first base. He’s out of minor league options after this season, so there will be increased pressure for him to make the club in 2021 — if he survives on the 40-man roster until next year’s Spring Training, that is.
The decision to designate Supak is somewhat of a surprise, given that he’s long been regarded among the organization’s better pitching prospects and put together a nice season in Double-A last year. True, the Milwaukee farm has been regarded as one of the lower-ranking systems in the game for several seasons, but Supak looked to have an opportunity to make it to the Majors this year.
Supak spent most of last year in Double-A, where he pitched 122 2/3 frames of 2.20 ERA ball with 6.9 K/9, 1.7 BB/9, 0.44 HR/9 and a 44.8 percent grounder rate. It’s a very pitcher-friendly setting, and the right-hander’s fielding-independent metrics weren’t as bullish as that rudimentary ERA — 3.14 FIP, 3.59 xFIP — but it was still a promising season all around. Supak was hit hard in a brief seven-game Triple-A stint, but that was true of most pitchers, given the offensive eruption throughout Triple-A that coincided with changes to the composition of the ball itself.
Milwaukee can’t trade Supak at this point, so he’ll now surely be run through outright waivers. He has a minor league option remaining beyond this season and a relatively strong minor league track record, so it wouldn’t all be a surprise to see another club place a claim. Perhaps of note, the club that originally drafted Supak, the Pirates, has the top waiver priority at present. (They’ve since turned over the top of their front office, however.) If Supak goes unclaimed, Milwaukee will be able to outright him to its alternate site and keep him both in the organization and in the 60-man player pool.
As for the 28-year-old Rodriguez, he never got into a game with the Brewers after coming over from the Tigers in a December waiver claim. He’s a versatile utility piece with a bit of pop but overwhelming on-base issues, as can be seen in his career .221/.254/.396 batting line. Rodriguez did swat 14 big flies in 294 MLB plate appearances last year, but he also carries a career 24.8 percent strikeout rate and has seen a dismal 18.2 percent of his fly-balls register as infield pop-ups. Thirty percent of Rodriguez’s plate appearances have resulted in either a punchout or a pop-up, and he’s walked at just a 4.6 percent pace in the Majors.
Shame. I think if he got more consistent playing time he would have done well
This could finally be where Mccinney breaks out playing in Miller Park.
Does this ‘officially’ make the J Happ trade a bust now?
For the jays ya. He had a good first half with the Yankees. Maybe age has caught up to him now?
It already was almost as soon as it was made. Utility players in return for one of your best starters was never going to work out.
A 35 year old pending free agent who had a mediocre first half was probably never going to bring a top prospect. Taking a gamble on Drury was a reasonable alternative to taking a gamble on a prospect. (And I guess they thought McKinney had potential too.)
It always was.
Always liked McKinney when he was in the Yankees system.
Why?
BREAKING: MLB GMs still love Billy McKinney.
Is anyone else surprised by Supak being DFA’d?
Rather shocked….like it says, they can’t trade him, and it’s hard to think he passes through waivers. Granted, there’s some negatives there, but he can be a 12th pitcher on a competitive roster, IMHO.
I was relieved. I’ve always thought he was terrible and his stuff just doesn’t play up in the majors. I’m glad they are finally moving on from a guy I had hoped would be traded last year while he still had value.
Rodriguez is a bum.
Brewers got better by both addition and subtraction of two bad players from the roster.
Pirates need to put a claim in on Supak.
Why? We have enough #6 SPs.
Lol..yes we do..he’s 24 years old though. And a 2nd round pick, has good pedigree. And has another year of minor league option. He doesn’t have to be on our 40-man roster next year. Can still have a whole year in the minors. He can still figure things out. I.E, Charlie Morton.
Pirates should claim Ambassador Supak, and his son Spock while they’re at it……
That was funny. This is the 453rd time you have tried to illicit an emotional response from me.
Red Sox should claim Supak (assuming he gets past the 2/3 teams ahead of them on the waiver wire). They need all the pitching they can get and Supak is actually young with potential for a change.
okay, where is the source saying league isnt factored into waiver priority?
League-specific waiver priority was tied to revocable trade waivers.
Hell I was thinking I’d like 2 see the Mets take a crack at Supak.
Klentak better not let Supak pass if he gets to us
I’m really surprised that Supak got dfa, they have a whole mlb team not hitting they could have chosen from other than him. I like the Mckinney pick up, could this be the end of Gamel?
Wow on Supak. He did not fare well at AAA but given how this season is going you might at least kick the tires with a call up and start to see how he does. Seems odd to let go a guy with an option and never had chance over keeping a Ray Black that has injury and performance issues.
Supak will never amount to anything. His stuff just isn’t MLB caliber.
Black’s issues have solely been due to injury (he gets hurt almost immediately). The few times he has pitched healthy, he’s showing potential to be a dominant closer.
Which would finally allow us to move Hader for a boatload of prospects now that we have a new and emerging bullpen (Rasmussen and Williams).
Get some good outings out of Knebel and move him as well. .
He was voted the Pitcher of the year, last year, for the AA league he was playing in. I guess none of the hitters he faced in AA were MLB caliber? Or none of the Pitchers he beat out for Pitcher of the Year were either? He was 11-4, w/ a 2.20 ERA in 20 starts. He was the Pirates 2nd round Pick. He pitched 153 innings in 2019, 114 in 2018, and 134 in 2017. That’s really good for someone who doesn’t have MLB stuff. I wonder how he got through all those innings pitched? He has a 4 pitch mix w/ a mid-low 90’s fastball w/ sink. And is 6’5, 260 pounds and 24 years old. I think he’ll get a shot somewhere else..lol.
I agree with Spike. AA/AAA stats mean little when judging whether they can make it in the majors. Check out Rudy Owens some time. Pirates minor league pitcher of the year. Guys like him are always toting good ERAs vs AA/AAA hitters, of who most aren’t good enough themselves to stick in the majors.
At best, Supak is a backend SP or middle reliever IF he fulfills his potential.
Just like Charlie Morton was.
And Ray Black went to college at Pitt. Was their closer. He throws hard. I believe tops 100MPH. Atleast he used to get it up to like 101-102 MPH.
Again, we never know the whole story…maybe Supak’s a naughty boy in some way shape or form. And his K-numbers are frankly horrible. Still, especially with an option year available next year, I would think he’s worth a claim.
I think it’s purely performance and Brewers projection beliefs.
I like McKinney, I hope he can find some success in Milwaukee.
The article said supak can’t be traded but i believe trades can happen but the player’s traded are just ineligible for the playoffs
Great trade for Happ. By the Yankees
It certainly was.
Supak was a top 15 prospect is Brewers system(was 11th ranked last year in 2019). Granted, Brewers system isn’t great. But that’s probably a top 25 in a good system. He was the Pirates 2nd round pick and they traded Keon Broxton and Supak for Jason Rogers. He was the Pitcher of year last year for the AA league he was playing for in the Brewers System. He has another year minor league option too. The Pirates should add him. He doesn’t even have to make their 40-man roster next year. Can spend the whole year in the minors.
After the pathetic off season for Mil, they shouldn’,t be claiming anyone. More DFA’s are coming.. Originally I applauded their ballsy off season trades, but almost everyone of them has been a dog. Sogard is next. What were they thinking? How are they going to back Yelich? A potentially good team gone bad, kudos to Yelich. What’s going to happen in the future?
Future doesn’t look bright because of the farm system. Brewers, after a pathetic offseason telling their fanbase they do not care about a championship, lock up Yelich. So, if you are keeping score:
-Refuse to spend to improve
-Spend in places they do not need
-Overpay for bench players
-Weak farm system
-Extend MVP candidate with little around him
-Proved they will not surround this MVP candidate like they didn’t the last MVP candidate
After the atrocious offseason they should have stood pat with Yelich and traded him at this year’s deadline since the franchise isn’t motivated to win.