Can Kinsler Be An Impact Player With The Angels?

The Los Angeles Angels will tell you that no matter what age a player is, they were desperately in need for a second baseman. Well, they finally got a second baseman, but perhaps not at the age they may have wanted him.

On Wednesday, the Angels went out and acquired Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler. They sent back two prospects as part of the deal and those prospects probably wouldn't have mattered for the Angels for the future.

Even at 35 years old, which is what Kinsler is, he can still operate as one of the most reliable second basemen in baseball today. However, his age and his numbers last year do signify something. He batted .236/.313/.412 with 22 home runs and 52 RBIs. Not exactly power numbers, especially for a guy who may start to slip as his age gets to him.

Now I understand that age is just a number and for the Angels, that's all it is. But even with Detroit last year, who are terrible overall, Kinsler is part of that issue and 35 is the relative issue where you see numbers start going again. Even Albert Pujols, their current DH, has been starting to hit lower numbers as he gets older with age. That doesn't mean they're still productive, it just means they're not the superstars they once were early in their season.

Back in 2016, when it was the last time Kinsler was actually a dominant force, he batted .288 with a .348 on-base percentage and .484 slugging percentage, which was pretty good at the time but it didn't help Detroit in getting to the playoffs, nor did his slumping numbers this season helped the Tigers at all.

His fielding may be more of the upside. In 2016, when he was a Gold Glove winner, he had a mark of 1.7 defensive wins above replacement, which is pretty darn good, and that's something the Angels need. The last two options they had in Danny Espinosa and Brandon Phillips, it did not work out. Espinosa batted near .150 and was designated for assignment midway through the season and Phillips proved to be a bust after coming over from Atlanta in a trade deadline deal.

There's plenty of opportunity for Kinsler to return to the numbers he had early in his career. However, it's a gamble that GM Billy Eppler is taking. Kinsler is clearly not the same player he was early in his career when he went to the World Series with the Rangers, and he has struggled despite his success in Detroit in some seasons. But a second baseman is what the Angels need and Eppler is going to take those chances if it means getting somebody who's reliable there. They haven't had that much recently. I hope Kinsler is the answer and I actually hope he can return to the stellar numbers he had in 2016 and before. But age is a big factor, and Kinsler is in that category where numbers start to recede, and that's something I'm very concerned with with this team going forward. I don't want him to turn into a bust like Espinosa or Phillips last season. I just hope he's the answer for this team as it continues its search for a reliable second baseman.