Fielders Out, Kinsler In

DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers tonight announced that the club has acquired second baseman Ian Kinsler from the Texas Rangers in exchange for first baseman Prince Fielder and cash considerations.

“We are fortunate to be in a position to acquire a quality and proven player in Ian Kinsler,” said David Dombrowski, Tigers President, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager. “Ian is an All-Star caliber talent who provides our lineup with a top of the order bat and has been a solid defensive performer at second base. The Tigers organization thanks Prince Fielder for his contributions to our ballclub for the past two seasons and we wish him all the best in the future.”

Kinsler, 31, batted .277 (151×545) with 31 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs and 72 RBI in 136 games with the Rangers in 2013. The three-time All-Star (2008, 2010, 2012) compiled a .978 fielding percentage at second base for Texas this season.

He was originally selected in the 17th round of the 2003 June draft by the Rangers and made his major league debut in 2006. In eight seasons at the major league level with Texas, he has hit .273 (1145×4201) with 249 doubles, 23 triples, 156 home runs and 539 RBI in 1,066 career games.

Kinsler, 6-0, 200 lbs, is a native of Tucson, Arizona and resides in Dallas, Texas during the offseason.

Fielder, 29, batted .279 (174×624) with 36 doubles, 25 home runs and 106 RBI in 162 games played with the Tigers in 2013. In nine seasons at the major league level, Fielder hit .286 (1352×4732) with 269 doubles, 10 triples, 285 home runs and 870 RBI in 1,322 games between the Brewers and the Tigers.