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Detroit Tigers: Should an Ian Kinsler reunion be considered in 2019?

By Brad Faber

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Ian Kinsler #5 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after being thrown out at home plate against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the tenth inning in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Ian Kinsler #5 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after being thrown out at home plate against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the tenth inning in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The Detroit Tigers have in-house options for second base, but could they use some additional help from a familiar face and World Series champ?

Last offseason, the Detroit Tigers traded Ian Kinsler to the Los Angeles Angels. Kinsler was one of the Tigers’ few remaining trade chips after the team officially went into rebuilding mode in the summer of 2017.

Kinsler spent four seasons with the Tigers, producing a  .275/.328/.436 triple-slash over 607 games. His best season came in 2016, when he slashed a robust .288/.348/.484 (122 OPS+) with 28 home runs and 83 RBI. Kinsler also played spectacular defense with the Tigers and won a Gold Glove award in 2016 as well.

With the Angels, Kinsler batted a respectable .239/.304/.406 (95 OPS+) with 13 home runs and 32 RBI over 91 games before being dealt to the Boston Red Sox. On Sunday night, Kinsler became a World Series champion for the first time in his career after the Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games in the 2018 World Series. Kinsler had previously been the the World Series with the Texas Rangers in 2010 and 2011, losing to the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively.

This offseason, the now-36-year-old Kinsler will be a free agent. At this point in his career, a multi-year deal may not be out of the question, but anything for more than two years might seem a bit of a stretch. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Kinsler have to settle for a one-year deal, or a one-year deal with an option.

When combining his numbers with the Red Sox and Angels, Kinsler batted .240/.301/.380 with 14 homers and 48 RBI through 128 regular season games. He hit just.206/.229/.294 in the postseason.

That said, when factoring in his still-well-above average defense, Kinsler remains a very solid big league player. His 2.3 fWAR ranked sixth among American League second basemen.

Although Kinsler proved to be a useful piece for the Red Sox in 2018, it remains to be seen if he will remain part of the puzzle going forward. Longtime Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has vowed to return next season after effectively missing the entire 2018 campaign.

Moreover, Kinsler is far from the only second baseman slated for free agency this winter. Others will include heavy weights such as Brian Dozier and Daniel Murphy. There are quite a few teams that already have very good second basemen on their active rosters as well. Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see who might offer Kinsler his next job. Perhaps it should be the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers currently have in-house options for second base, most notably Niko Goodrum, Dawel Lugo and Ronny Rodriguez. However, a veteran such as Kinsler might offer a more stable solution.

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Goodrum was one of the Tigers biggest surprises in 2018, ranking third on the team with 16 homers. However, his defense at second remains questionable, as he had a -14.2 UZR/150 at the position in 2018. Goodrum is also very versatile and could be considered as an option for second base or perhaps even right field, depending on whether Nick Castellanos is traded or moved to first base.

Lugo, one of the main pieces the Tigers received from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the J.D. Martinez deal, batted just .213/.267/.309 through 27 games with the Tigers in 2018. He performed better in Triple-A Toledo, hitting .269/.283/.350, but displayed very little power, hitting just three home runs. He also drew only nine walks, which helps to explain his low on-base percentage.

Rodriguez might be a better option to use as a utility player, especially if Goodrum moves into a full-time role. Rodriguez played five positions for the Tigers in 2018. He also showed that he has some occasional power in his bat, hitting a combined 14 home runs between Detroit and Toledo.

Next. 2018 Tigers season review. dark

Bringing Kinsler aboard, whether to give him a full-time job or to serve as a mentor, would certainly make sense for the Detroit Tigers. Now that Kinsler finally has a World Championship under his belt, perhaps it could be possible that he might be more open to joining a rebuilding team. Even before he was traded to the Angels, Kinsler expressed a willingness to remain in Detroit and continue being a team leader. Kinsler returning to the Motor City is an idea that is at least worth considering — for both sides.

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