Josh Kinney

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2001
IND:  1-0-0, 1.71 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 21.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 7.7 K/9
A-:  2-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.35 WHIP, 5.2 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 7.9 K/9
A:  1-4-0, 4.39 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 41.0 IP, 3.3 BB/9, 7.7 K/9

Kinney made three starts in independent ball before the Cards signed him, then he spent most of the rest of the year pitching in relief in low A.

2002
A+:  1-3-7, 2.29 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 41.1 IP, 2.2 BB/9, 7.6 K/9

The Cards moved Kinney up to high A and he pitched better than the previous year, although his walk and K rates were mediocre.

2003
A+:  3-0-3, 1.52 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 38.2 IP, 5.8 BB/9, 5.8 K/9
AA:  2-1-2, 0.68 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 39.3 IP, 2.7 BB/9, 10.9 K/9

The Cards sent Kinney back to high A and he dominated there until a mid-season promotion to AA.  After the promotion he was nearly unhittable, including a greatly increased K rate.  Baseball America ranked him the Cards’ #21 prospect after the season.

2004
A+:  0-1-0, 4.32 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 8.1 IP, 6.5 BB/9, 13.0 K/9
AA:  3-8-4, 5.50 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 55.2 IP, 5.5 BB/9, 7.8 K/9

Kinney struggled in AA, with poor control especially being a problem.  He ended up back in high A, where he didn’t pitch well, either.

2005
AA:  5-2-11, 1.29 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 42.0 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 9.0 K/9
AAA:  1-2-0, 7.36 ERA, 2.30 WHIP, 25.2 IP, 6.7 BB/9, 8.8 K/9

Kinney returned to AA and dominated there, before struggling badly in the second half in AAA.

2006
AAA:  2-2-3, 1.52 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 71.0 IP, 3.7 BB/9, 9.6 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 3.24 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 25.0 IP, 2.9 BB/9, 7.9 K/9

Kinney continued his pattern of dominating in his second year at a level, this time AAA.  He spent the months of July and September in the majors and pitched well.  Between the majors and minors he appeared in 72 games.

2007
INJURED

Kinney had Tommy John surgery in March and missed the season.  He also broke his elbow playing catch in August.

2008
AAA:  0-1-0, 7.36 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.2 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 12.3 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, 7.0 IP, 1.3 BB/9, 10.3 K/9

Kinney had several setbacks during his rehab and wasn’t able to pitch until late August.  The Cards brought him up in September and he pitched surprisingly well.

2009
AAA:  3-3-1, 3.86 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 44.1 IP, 4.1 BB/9, 10.6 K/9
MLB:  1-0-0, 8.80 ERA, 2.22 WHIP, 15.1 IP, 6.5 BB/9, 4.7 K/9

Kinney opened the season with the Cards, but they sent him down in mid-April to add a starter.  He didn’t return until mid-June, then struggled for about five weeks before they sent him back down.  He didn’t pitch all that well in AAA, either, apart from a high K rate.

2010
AAA:  3-4-17, 1.80 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 60.0 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 7.6 K/9

The Cards optioned Kinney to AAA at the start of the season.  He pitched well there, but in July they outrighted him and he stayed in AAA the rest of the year.  After the season he became a free agent and signed with the White Sox.

2011
AAA:  6-3-14, 2.77 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 61.2 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 9.6 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 6.62 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, 17.2 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 10.2 K/9

Kinney pitched well in AAA and the White Sox called him up in August.  He pitched poorly in the majors and the Sox outrighted him after the season.  He signed a minor league deal with Seattle.

2012
AAA:  1-0-3, 2.70 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 36.2 IP, 2.7 BB/9, 9.3 K/9
MLB:  0-3-1, 3.94 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 32.0 IP, 4.2 BB/9, 10.1 K/9

Kinney continued to pitch well in AAA, although not as well as the year before.  (Of course, he was in the Pacific Coast League instead of the International League, as he was in 2011.)  The Mariners called him up at the beginning of July and he spent the rest of the season in Seattle.  He pitched decently, with a good K rate.  After the season he signed a one-year deal with the Mariners.

2013
AAA:  2-2-1, 4.36 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 33.0 IP, 2.7 BB/9, 8.7 K/9

Kinney had problems in spring training with a stress reaction in his left shoulder and rib cage, and ended up missing the first half of the season.  Seattle outrighted him to AAA at the end of July and he spent the rest of the season there.  He pitched much better than his ERA indicates.

2014
AAA:  2-3-4, 3.38 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 61.1 IP, 4.3 BB/9, 9.1 K/9

Kinney pitched in relief for Indianapolis all year.  He wasn’t all that effective, walking too many hitters and allowing a few too many hits.  Hitters put up a line of 256/358/397 against him.

Kinney will be a free agent again and will probably move on.