Detroit Tigers Desperately Need to Replace One Key Part of Lineup
The Detroit Tigers surprised a lot of the baseball world this past season, but now expectations will be on the rise year.
If they want to keep up the pace, there are some crucial parts of their game plan that need to be much better.
Whereas their pitching staff was deep and flowing, pushing them over the edge into being contenders out of nowhere, the same can't be said about the offensive side of the ball.
Zach McKinstry is the main utility man for Detroit and his poor performance this past season has made finding his replacement a necessity.
Though McKinstry doesn't have one assigned role, he plays most days and switches around to wherever the team needed him.
That is a very important role, and players being willing to do that is great for morale. Still, it seemed as though his spot in the lineup was a black hole for much of the season.
The 29-year-old had a very strong August, which saved his year from looking even worse than it actually was. He played a key role in turning the tide of the campaign.
Through the end of July, he had posted just a .177/.238/.290 slashing line with just three home runs and 15 RBI.
He closed the season on a low-note as well, only starting in a handful of games and going 6-for-43 at the plate when they did call on him.
The Tigers traded for the Ohio native right before the 2023 campaign when they sent pitching prospect Carlos Guzman to the Chicago Cubs.
McKinstry is under team control through the end of the 2027 season, but the team might need to do work to find someone else to take that spot way sooner than that. He has not made the best impression during his first two years in Detroit.
The versatile player took starts at second, third, shortstop and the corner infield spots this season. The Tigers will need to find someone that can do that, or opt to recreate that in the aggregate.
Fast-rising prospect Hao-Yu Lee has experience at all three of those infield spots if they decide on the latter. There are a couple of corner outfield options in the minors as well.
Thairo Estrada, previously of the San Francisco Giants is an under-the-radar free agent option that has played all over the field.
He's also coming off of a weak season, but has a better track record.
Abraham Toro of the Oakland Athletics is another cheap free agency option that offers a little bit of a higher offensive ceiling.
As long as something is done to address it in the offseason, it should be viewed as a good sign. Inaction is the worst-case scenario.
