Tigers Face a $5 Million Call on Zach McKinstry
· Yahoo Sports
Zach McKinstry is a Gold Glove finalist for the second straight year. He also hit .199. The Detroit Tigers have one offseason to decide which of those two players they are paying for.
The number that settles it is already on the table. MLB Trade Rumors projects a $5 million salary for the 31-year-old in his final trip through arbitration.
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Zach McKinstry’s glove is the best part of his game
McKinstry played six different positions for Detroit in 2026 and posted a plus-12 fielding run value, putting him in the 95th percentile. He ranked third in baseball among right fielders with 13 defensive runs saved and third among American League right fielders with nine outfield assists, per the Detroit News.
He is one of three American League utility finalists, alongside Jose Caballero of the New York Yankees and Ezequiel Duran of the Texas Rangers. Winners are announced Nov. 1 on ESPN. McKinstry lost last year’s utility award to Mauricio Dubon, who has since left the AL for Atlanta.
The bat went the other way in 2026
The defense is not the question. McKinstry hit .199 with a .288 on-base percentage in 129 games this past season, with four home runs, 26 RBIs and three stolen bases on eight attempts.
A year earlier he was an All-Star. He hit .259 with a .333 on-base percentage and a .438 slugging percentage in 144 games in 2025, with 12 home runs and 49 RBIs, and became the first Tiger to win a Silver Slugger as a utility player. One season erased most of that at the plate.
Five million dollars for a defensive substitution
With one year of arbitration left, McKinstry is cheap enough to keep as a late-inning defensive substitution in spite of the offensive woes. The harder part is what he does the rest of the game. Alvin Garcia of Detroit Tigers On SI put the choice this way:
“If McKinstry receives another substantial share of starts, Detroit risks absorbing similar offensive limitations. If his opportunities shrink, the Tigers must decide whether a defense-focused reserve represents their best use of that money and roster spot.”
The Tigers should not go past $5 million on him. If the price goes north of that, keeping him around for 2027 stops being worth it.
Los Angeles Dodgers could reunite with him this offseason
Miguel Rojas retired after 13 seasons once the Los Angeles Dodgers were eliminated in the National League Championship Series, which leaves their infield depth thin. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report sees an opening there:
“The Dodgers need to replace the retiring Miguel Rojas, whose departure leaves their infield depth chart looking pretty shallow. … Buying low on Zach McKinstry after he hit .199 in 2026 is also on the table.”
Any reunion would take a trade rather than a signing, because arbitration keeps McKinstry under club control instead of sending him to free agency. The Dodgers drafted him in the 33rd round in 2016 and he spent three seasons in Los Angeles from 2020 to 2022. If he is not in Detroit next season, that is the likeliest place to find him.