The Boston Red Sox have acquired 4-time All-Star Ian Kinsler from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for William Jerez and Ty Buttrey.
Kinsler isn’t the player he used to be, as he has had a rough past couple of years. Compared to his career batting average of .272, Kinsler has hit a combined .237 during his last two seasons in the MLB. Nevertheless, he is a reliable defensive option at second base, and with Dustin Pedroia out indefinitely, Kinsler will step right into the starting role during his absence.
“Ian’s a really good defensive player,” said Dave Dombrowski, the President of Baseball Operations for the Red Sox. “Basically, it’s what we hoped, early this season, that Dustin would be.”
Dombrowski has seen first hand what the second basemen is capable of during his time as an exec for the Tigers organization. He witnessed Kinsler play for four seasons while earning an All-Star selection, Gold Glove, and a Fielding Bible Award in the process. These honors are a testament to how effective Kinsler can be on both offense and defense.
Ian Kinsler came out of the All-Star break on fire. #CarryTheFreight pic.twitter.com/SaYehH5HL1
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 24, 2018
Kinsler is not a typical baseball player, as he can do just about anything. He can hit for power, field, and he knows his way around the basepath. He is a two-time member of the 30-30 club (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases), not to mention the fact that he is the Texas Rangers’ all-time leader in stolen bases.
He will reunite with David Price in Boston after previously being teammates on the Tigers, and the former Cy Young winner had nothing but praise for the veteran infielder.
“He’s the closest teammate that I’ve ever had to Dustin Pedroia,” said Price. “He brings that intensity, that fire every single day. He’s a gamer. He’ll make any team better. I’m very happy we got him.”
Kinsler will add value to the clubhouse as a leadership presence and on the field as he attempts to help the Red Sox compete for a World Series Championship.
Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons
