Bleacher Report's outlandish Tigers-Dodgers trade would never fly with Scott Harris

Tigers fans have a complicated relationship with Zach McKinstry. Although his defense has always been his calling card, his offensive performances in 2023 and 2024 were nothing to write home about, and fans took to calling for an upgrade that never came. GM Jeff Greenberg was bullish about McKinstry's usefulness to the Tigers, calling him their "most indispensable under-the-radar player" in 2024.

The front office's patience in him was rewarded in 2025, when he was named an All-Star and won a Silver Slugger as a utility player. The All-Star nod was certainly deserved; he was hitting .285 with an .836 OPS by the break.

This year, he continued to play great defense all over the field, but mostly at second base and in right field, but the offensive outburst he enjoyed last season wasn't replicable. He hit .199 with a .582 OPS in 129 games.

Still, the Tigers are almost certainly not eager to move on from him. He's entering his last year of arbitration eligibility and will remain affordable. If the Tigers non-tender Matt Vierling, they'll want to keep their other true utility player.

But in an article breaking down all 30 teams' "most likely" trades this offseason, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller named McKinstry as a target for the Dodgers.

Yeah, that's never going to happen.

Bleacher Report's proposed Tigers-Dodgers Zach McKinstry swap is ridiculous

The Dodgers probably do need a superutility player to keep on the bench if they choose not to reunite with Kiké Hernández, but they would probably prefer to look on the free agent market before making a deal.

While the Tigers could plausibly be overwhelmed by a Dodgers offer, as they have been in the past and given the strength of that farm system, it's unlikely that LA would actually want to pay what Detroit might ask. It would be surprising if they listened on offers for McKinstry at all.

Love him or hate him, McKinstry kind of embodies the Tigers' ethos. He's not the fastest guy, but he's always willing to run; he's not the best hitter, but he knows how to grind through an at-bat. He's possibily their best defensive player — just look at the throw he made to save Justin Verlander's last career start.

We might see less of him in starting lineups as guys like Ben Malgeri and Brett Callahan develop, but they'll still want him as a late-inning defensive replacement or pinch-runner. He's not going anywhere.

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