Los Angeles Angels acquire second baseman Ian Kinsler

The Los Angeles Angels entered the offseason with a few holes around the diamond. One of those positions was second base, and it looks like GM Billy Eppler has a player to fill the void.

According to Fox Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal, the Los Angeles Angels acquired second baseman Ian Kinsler from the Detroit Tigers, Wednesday evening.

The move gives the Angels a veteran second baseman for the 2018 season. Kinsler’s contract expires after next season.

Rosenthal previously reported that Kinsler had to approve the trade because of the no-trade clause portion of his contract.

In return, the Tigers acquired two prospects, pitcher Wilkel Hernandez and outfielder Troy Montgomery, according to Katie Strang, a reporter for The Athletic. Montgomery ranked 20th and Hernandez ranked 24th in the Angels’ farm system, according to MLB Pipeline’s top-30 players for the Angels.

Kinsler is coming off a down year in 2017. The 35-year old posted a .236/.313/.412 slash line with 22 home runs, 52 RBI, and 90 runs. Kinsler saw career lows in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, and OPS+.

Although playing for a Tigers’ team that traded players away and fell out of contention early could have played a role in his decline of production.

According to Fangraphs.com, Kinsler’s BABIP was .244, which could indicate some bad luck. A lot of his balls put into play couldn’t find a hole, which could lead to a low batting average.

Kinsler played eight seasons for the Texas Rangers, as a bitter rival of the Angels. The Rangers traded him to Detroit and played there for four seasons before the trade to Los Angeles.

In his career, Kinsler owns a slash line of .273/.342/.447 with 234 home runs, 839 RBI, 1,149 runs scored and 225 stolen bases. Kinsler’s a four-time All-Star and won a Gold Glove award in 2016. Kinsler was a nominee for the Gold Glove in 2017 but lost out to Minnesota Twins’ second baseman Brian Dozier.

Justin Upton, a former teammate of Kinsler’s on the Tigers, pitched the move to Angels’ GM Billy Eppler, per Anthony Fenech, a free press sports writer for the Tigers.

Eppler continues to make this a busy offseason for the Angels. Two days after the World Series ended, the Angels and Upton agreed on a five-year, $106 million extension. Then last week, the Angels landed Japanese superstar hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani. Now, the team adds Kinsler to the mix.

And according to USA Today Sports baseball reporter Bob Nightengale, Eppler looks to add another player to the Angels roster via trade. He tweeted that the Angels are eyeing a third baseman too.

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Here is a look at the Los Angeles Angels possible lineup on Opening Day with how the roster stands right now.

1. 2B Kinsler
2. RF Calhoun
3. CF Trout
4. LF Upton
5. 1B Pujols
6. SS Simmons
7. DH Cron/Ohtani
8. 3B Valbuena/Cowart
9. C Maldonado/Graterol

Next: Japanese star Ohtani joins the Angels

The offseason remains young, but the Los Angeles Angels offense already looks vastly improved heading into the 2018 season. With them barely missing a Wild Card spot in 2017, they seem primed to make a strong run at the postseason next season.