Maybe the hardest part of becoming a crafty veteran utilityman is simply getting the opportunity. The role that the soon-to-be 30-year-old Zach McKinstry plays for A.J. Hinch and the Detroit Tigers is one that is more often the province of former starting players who have lost a step, or solid but not standout young prospects that a team is just breaking into the league and trying to develop.
The list of guys who manage to effectively play a bench role for a half decade or more without at least one breakout campaign that keeps teams hoping for more upside isn’t that long.