04/18/24
November 21, 2013
Tigers and Rangers Swap Prince Fielder and Ian Kinsler: the move allows Detroit to move Cabrera to first and call up a prospect to play third and clears up a logjam in the middle of the infield for Texas.
Whoah! As much as I like Prince Fielder the personality, I'm not that big on him as a player. Should I be happy about this trade? Baseball smarties, hope me!
posted by NoMich at 08:48 PM on November 20, 2013
Granted, it's only one side of the analysis, but I was listening to some Dallas area sports-talk radio this evening when this hit and the crux of it (from their point of view) is:
The Rangers get a hard-hitting lefty that'll play 61 games at the Ballpark providing some much-needed power, which they obviously needed once Nellie Cruz got suspended and now is gone. And it solves the problem of what to do with Jurickson Profar, given they had Kins and Elvis Andrus in the way of him getting legit playing time.
The Tigers get a solid (if prone hot/cold streaks) diverse infielder and now have the money to keep Max Scherzer around long-term.
Seems win-win other than Fielder's got a longer/more expensive contract than Kins right now. As a Rangers fan, I'm pretty stoked about it.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:11 PM on November 20, 2013
Not to mention it frees up 1st base for Cabrera, and that frees up 3rd for Castellanos. Now the Tigers just need a bullpen...
posted by MeatSaber at 10:27 PM on November 20, 2013
The Rangers get a hard-hitting lefty that'll play 61 games at the Ballpark providing some much-needed power
What does Prince do for the other 20 games at home?
posted by grum@work at 11:15 PM on November 20, 2013
What does Prince do for the other 20 games at home?
Convince the management at the ballpark to make an all tofu version of the Boomstick?
Sorry, busy time studying Renal Phys. I don't recommend it
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:28 PM on November 20, 2013
Great job by Detroit getting out from under the stupid contract they gave Fielder. That will wind up paying huge dividends for the Tigers.
posted by dyams at 05:48 AM on November 21, 2013
I love this trade, both for the sensibility on both sides and the sheer chutzpah of trading a front-line star for a fan favorite. I wonder if either player had any sense it was coming.
posted by werty at 10:18 AM on November 21, 2013
With the $30 million in cash from Detroit, Texas is getting Fielder for seven years and $138 million. That seems like a risk worth taking for a 29-year-old who will add power to a lineup sorely in need of it last season.
I heard more grumbling about Kinsler this year among Texas fans than I'd ever heard before. It will be interesting to see if he can pick up his production in a less-friendly park for hitters.
The insta-analysis across the media rates it as a positive for both sides, though Texas is bucking the trend of jettisoning big-money contracts to improve quickly.
posted by rcade at 10:56 AM on November 21, 2013
Looks to me like a 'win now' trade for Texas. Fielder turns 30 starting next year, he's huge, and he's signed for 7 years at about 20 mil per? Wow. Did the Rangers watch Fielder during the playoffs?
As Texas admitted, they probably can't make this deal if Fielder had a great 2013. So maybe he bounces back. Ortiz is 38 and he can still rake, so there's that...
posted by justgary at 04:05 PM on November 21, 2013
The Rangers got to the Series twice with some bangers in the lineup to compliment the best-in-franchise-history pitching. I don't think enough great arms will come to Texas to change that formula.
posted by rcade at 04:24 PM on November 21, 2013
the Rangers got to the Series twice with some bangers in the lineup
Oh, I think it's a good trade for the Rangers if Fielder bounces back. Could be just a down season that extended into the playoffs.
posted by justgary at 04:28 PM on November 21, 2013
I think Prince will love that old timey Tiger Stadium homerun porch that they have in Arlington.
posted by NoMich at 08:29 PM on November 21, 2013
The Tigers and Rangers are apparently working on a deal that would swap Prince Fielder and Ian Kinsler.