Tigers trade Kinsler to Angels for two minor leaguers

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The Detroit Tigers announced Wednesday night they have traded second baseman Ian Kinsler to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for two minor leaguers.

Detroit received 18-year-old right-hander Wilkel Hernandez and 23-year-old outfielder Troy Montgomery in the trade.

The 35-year-old Kinsler hit .236 with 22 home runs and 52 RBIs in 139 games last season for the rebuilding Tigers, who tied San Francisco for the worst record in the majors at 64-98. He is due to earn $11 million next season in the final year of his contract.

With the Tigers shedding payroll, the Angels also acquired slugger Justin Upton from Detroit in an Aug. 31 trade and then signed the All-Star outfielder to a $106 million, five-year contract.

Kinsler is a .273 career hitter with a .342 on-base percentage and .789 OPS. He has 234 homers and 839 RBIs to go with 225 stolen bases.

Kinsler was generally productive during four years with Detroit, although his batting average dipped to a career low in 2017. He was acquired from Texas in a trade for Prince Fielder and batted .275 with 78 home runs, 300 RBIs and 401 runs for the Tigers.

But the Tigers' run as a plausible contender ended with a thud last season and they began looking toward the future, trading Upton, star pitcher Justin Verlander and slugging outfielder J.D. Martinez before September.

Hernandez has made 17 appearances and 12 starts, all at the rookie-ball level. He's gone 6-1 with a 2.28 ERA and is young enough that just about anything could happen with his career.

Montgomery hit .271 with eight homers and 38 RBIs in 100 games last season at Class A and Double-A.