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Although it happened well over two years ago, it seems like only yesterday when it was reported that the Detroit Tigers had sent Prince Fielder and $30 million to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Ian Kinsler. The deal has ended up working out very well for the Tigers.
Admittedly, there have been a couple of occasions where Kinsler’s bat has gone silent, particularly during the second half and postseason of 2014 as well as a stretch over the first half of last season. That being said, he has been an above-average hitter overall, posting a combined OPS+ of 108 during the two seasons he has spent with the Tigers.
Last year, Kinsler actually ended up slashing a rock-solid .296/.342/.428 with 11 home runs and 73 RBIs. Of course, he didn’t hit with the type of 30-plus homer pop he showed with the Rangers in 2009 and 2011, but one could make a strong argument that it was one of his better offensive seasons across the board. He has also been swinging the bat well in spring training this year, hitting .277/.327/.617 with four homers and a team-high 15 RBIs.
It’s also become impossible to talk about Kinsler without mentioning what he adds with his glove. Since the start of the 2014 campaign, he leads all second basemen in MLB with 39 defensive runs saved.
Kinsler may be entering his age-34 season, but he is still an excellent ballplayer on both sides of the ball. If the Tigers are going to get to where they want to go in 2016, it goes without saying that Kinsler is going to be a key part of the winning formula.
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