Tigers trade Ian Kinsler to Angels

ORLANDO -- The Angels have a deal to acquire second baseman Ian Kinsler from the Tigers for minor-league outfielder Troy Montgomery and righty Wilkel Hernandez. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the trade.

Kinsler, whose contract allows him to block trades to 10 teams, had to give his blessing for the deal to go through. It makes sense that he did, considering the Angels are expected to compete for a playoff spot and the Tigers are embarking on a major rebuild.

Kinsler is the latest Tiger to be shipped out of town, joining J.D. Martinez, Justin Wilson, Alex Avila, Justin Upton and Justin Verlander. He’ll be reunited with Upton in Anaheim, where the Angels have been searching hard for a long-term answer at second base.

Kinsler, who will turn 36 next June, will be under Angels’ control for just one season, earning $11 million before hitting free agency in the fall. He struggled to a .236/.313/.412 line with 22 homers in his fourth season in Detroit.

Kinsler also drew serious interest from the Mets, who are looking for a second baseman. He returns to the AL West, where he spent the first eight years of his career with Texas.

Montgomery, 20, was the Halos’ eighth-round pick out of Ohio State last year. The Indianapolis native reached as high as Double-A in 2017, hitting .271/.358/.413 with eight homers and 15 steals in 100 games. He was ranked as the No. 20 prospect in the system by MLB Pipeline, citing his advanced plate approach as a major positive.

Hernandez, 18, is a 6-foot-3, 160 lb. righty signed out of Venezuela in 2015. He’s a raw prospect, being ranked as the team’s 24th-best youngster after posting a 2.64 ERA in 44.1 innings at rookie levels this season.