Boston has gotten in on the trade deadline market, making a surprising deal for Ian Kinsler.
Things always get crazy at the trade deadline in baseball. Chris Archer’s name came out of nowhere to become the hottest on the market, and then Bryce Harper got tossed into the mix. Teams like Cleveland, New York, and Chicago all have been buzzing with trade rumors trying to piece together a World Series roster, but there’s one team that had laid in the weeds just long enough before pouncing.
Boston struck on Monday night with one of the more surprising deadline deals. Ian Kinsler, the Los Angeles Angels veteran second baseman, was dealt to the Red Sox in a coast-to-coast eyebrow raiser.
It’s a win-win, even if the Angels are getting the short end of the stick in many ways. Boston is fortifying its offense for a postseason that will be full of top pitching talent, while the Angels are trying to build back up one of the worst farm systems in the Majors.
Here is what the trade looked like on Monday night:
Boston Red Sox
Ian Kinsler helps fill a need, something Boston wasn’t really advertising but managed to get out in front of. While the rest of the league was fawning over the possibility of Bryce Harper getting dealt, Boston was trying to fill Dustin Pedroia’s position while he rehabs from injury. New York is a menace, and the last thing any Red Sox fan wants is the Yankees positioning themselves for a World Series run.
Kinsler helps combat that and gives Boston a chance to make a run of its own.
The downside is that Kinsler is 36-years old and this is a transparent short-term play. Boston isn’t filling an infield need for the future, but the uncertain immediate future of Dustin Pedroia worries the Red Sox enough to have pulled off this deal. Kinsler will fill his role for now, and in a perfect world, Boston will have both for the postseason.
It’s hard to hate a deal like that. Short term or not, if this deal helps Boston bounce New York in October it will all have been worth it.
Grade: B-
Los Angeles Angels
This was a move the Angels had to make, even if it seems like waving the white flag. Right now the race for the AL West is Houston’s to lose, with Seattle and Oakland fighting for Wild Card scraps. Los Angeles would love to be in that mix but things just don’t seem like they’ll be coming together this season — which is a problem.
Right now the future revolves around whether or not Mike Trout will want to stay with the Angels. Nothing is suggesting he will, from the poor performance of the team over the years to the fact that the farm system offers no light at the end of the tunnel. Los Angeles has one of the most desolate situations when it comes to young players in their system, which means there won’t be any top prospects getting called up to play alongside Trout in the next two years he’s on the team.
Shohei Ohtani has been a nice addition, but he wasn’t homegrown in the farm system. Adding two young pieces to try and mend the future is a step in the right direction. Kinsler, who was way too old to be part of the Angels future and much too talented to be helping them, getting flipped for young talent is a no-brainer.
It’s not like Los Angeles is getting back Top 50 prospects, but at least it’s something.
Grade: B