Among the ‘wish list’ of things for the New York Yankees this offseason, perhaps the biggest point of emphasis for Brian Cashman and the Yankees’ front office is finding a replacement for third baseman Ryan McMahon.
New York could do this by either signing a notable player in free agency, or the Yankees could look to make a splash in the trade market.
A recent trade pitch by SNY suggests that the Yankees should link with the Detroit Tigers in a deal that would net All-Star infielder Zach McKinstry for outfielder Jasson Dominguez.
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Should Yankees Offload Jasson Dominguez for Zach McKinstry?
There is certainly a strong argument to be made that the Yankees might look to offload Jasson Dominguez this offseason, especially after another lackluster campaign at the plate and more uninspiring defense in the outfield, but is Zach McKinstry even a good replacement for McMahon? Or Jazz Chisholm Jr., for that matter??
YanksGoYard.com writer Colin Keane hit on the recent trade idea by SNY, and wrote (about McKinstry):
“Not to say that this deal would be a straight-up swap, but by pitting these two players against each other 1-on-1, we can come to an understanding about their comparative value and the legitimacy of this trade idea for the Yankees. McKinstry’s offensive value rests entirely on his 2025 season, in which he hit .259/.333/.438 with 12 home runs, made the All-Star team, and bagged a Silver Slugger. He was far worse this past season, hitting .199/.288/.294 with just four homers. But in fact, those numbers were closer to his career norms than 2025 was, seeing as McKinstry is a career .225 hitter who has never hit more than nine home runs outside of the 2025 campaign and has also been limited to four homers in two separate seasons beyond 2026.”
In 2026, Zach McKinstry batted .199 over 129 games, with an OPS+ of 64. An MLB veteran of seven seasons, but looking at this potential ‘player-swap’ deal…. the Detroit Tigers might actually be more of beneficiaries than the New York Yankees.
The Tigers would be receiving Jasson Dominguez, who, yes, has struggled in his MLB opportunities, but perhaps that’s because of the pressure in New York.
Dominguez is still just 23, and a change of scenery might actually be a good move for his future. He batted .225 in 2026 with an OPS+ of 75, and six home runs, so you could make the case that he’s actually a more productive offensive player than McKinstry.
As for McKinstry headed to New York in this deal, do Yankees fans really want to replace Ryan McMahon with another infielder who has a small power stroke? Probably not.
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Who Says ‘No’ to Potential McKinstry-Dominguez Trade
Honestly, this trade idea doesn’t make much sense from the Yankees’ side.
While yes, they may want to offload Jasson Dominguez this offseason, they may use him as part of a bigger trade to land a higher-quality infielder. Dominguez could also still be a good depth option for New York in 2027, if they opt to keep him on the roster.
That’s not to say McKinstry isn’t a good player, but if the Yankees are serious about upgrading at third base, there are other trade/free agent targets that are much more productive hitters. Just to name a few that “might” be available: Nolan Arenado, Alec Bohm, Isaac Paredes, etc.
Now, if the Tigers were truly interested in Jasson Dominguez, perhaps they could throw in a top-20 prospect or two in order to see if that might entice New York enough to take on McKinstry.
Yankees/Tigers fans, let me know in the comments what you think about this trade idea. Does it make sense for either side??
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