Zach McKinstry has spent enough time in Detroit now to know his value isn’t measured only by the bat. The Tigers utility man didn’t deliver the same kind of offensive jolt he provided in 2025, but he still carved out a season that kept him squarely in the team’s plans.
In 2026, McKinstry leaned into the part of his game that has always traveled well: versatility. He spent most of his time in right field, logging 62 games there, while also appearing in 45 games at second base and 34 at shortstop. He added a few starts at third base, and he also saw time in left and center field.
That kind of usage helped earn McKinstry a nomination for the Utility-Man Gold Glove Award, where he is up against Jose Caballero of the New York Yankees and Ezequiel Duran of the Texas Rangers. It’s a second crack at the honor for McKinstry, who was also nominated in 2023, when Mauricio Dubón of the Houston Astros won the award.
This time around, McKinstry’s defensive case looks stronger. Statcast has him with the 18th-best fielding run value in Major League Baseball at 12, a mark that tops both Caballero and Duran. His fielding run value in 2023 was 4, so this nomination carries more weight than the one he earned two years ago.
If McKinstry takes home the Gold Glove, he would become the first Tigers infielder, other than Dillon Dingler behind the plate in 2025, to win a Gold Glove Award since Ian Kinsler in 2016. And if that happens, there’s a good chance Detroit will want him back in 2027.
The bigger picture for the Tigers is pretty clear: McKinstry should be valued more for his glove than for a repeat of his Silver Slugger run. He profiles as one of the better all-around defenders in the American League, and that matters for a club trying to get back to the playoffs. Defense plays loud in October, and the Tigers need players like him if they want to get there.
McKinstry made $4.2 million in 2026 and is arbitration-eligible one final time this offseason before reaching free agency. For Detroit, that keeps him in the price range they usually spend on players like him, though a Gold Glove could nudge his salary upward a bit despite modest offensive numbers.
In Other News...
Tigers May Finally Have A Real Opening To Bring Skubal Back
Tarik Skubals future has become one of those rare offseason storylines that can actually make Detroit feel like a real player in a market it usually has to navigate carefully. The left-hander, now with the Dodgers, has made it clear he is open to a return to the Tigers, the organization that developed him, and that alone gives Detroit a thread worth following as the team looks for ways to stay relevant in the pitching market.
What gives the Tigers some hope is the timing around the Dodgers and the broader uncertainty hanging over MLB economics. Industry insiders believe Los Angeles may be reluctant to rush into a long-term extension, and that could create a window for another club to make its case. Detroit is viewed as a possible contender if it decides to push hard enough financially, but whether that opening turns into anything real will come down to how aggressive the Tigers are willing to be in a complicated free-agent landscape. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Add Respected Former Catcher To Key Staff Role
The Tigers have added a familiar baseball mind to their staff, bringing in former major league catcher Martn Maldonado as their quality control coach. It is the kind of hire that fits the way A.J. Hinch has often valued experience and communication, and Maldonado arrives with a strong background from his years behind the plate, including time playing under Hinch with the Astros.
Maldonado retired in October and briefly moved into a special assistant role with the Braves, but his next step already had another layer to it. Along with his new assignment in Detroit, he is expected to manage a team in the Puerto Rican Winter League, a reminder that even after his playing career ended, his baseball calendar has stayed full. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Fans May Need To Rethink The Tarik Skubal Trade
Tarik Skubals exit from Detroit looked like the kind of move that only makes sense in the harsh math of a lost season. The Tigers dealt the injured left-hander to the Dodgers after he went down with an elbow issue and the club slipped out of playoff contention, getting three players back in a trade that was framed around restocking for the future.
Now the picture may not be so simple. With Los Angeles out of the NLCS and a looming MLB lockout hanging over the market, there is growing speculation the Dodgers might not rush into a long-term commitment for Skubal, which could leave the door open for free agency sooner than expected. If Detroits return produces even one legitimate major leaguer, the deal could start to look like a sharper bit of business than it did on the day it was made. [Read more 🡒]