TODAY: Kinsler will remain with the Tigers, Heyman tweets, as no trade was worked out with the team that claimed him.
FRIDAY, 5:23pm: The Brewers did not win the claim for Kinsler, Heyman tweets. Milwaukee had reportedly shown interest in the veteran in recent weeks.
4:54pm: It seems unlikely a deal will be worked out, Heyman hints (Twitter links). The (still unknown) claiming team tried and failed to land Kinsler before the non-waiver deadline and hasn’t made headway since winning the claim. There’s “no optimism” of that changing, per the report.
3:20pm: Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler will not make it through revocable waivers, as an as-yet unidentified team has placed a claim on the veteran, per a report from Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). It’s not yet known whether Kinsler will end up in a new uniform, though.
Detroit still remains in control of Kinsler’s fate. It can work out a trade to send him to the claiming team, allow that club to take on his contract without compensation, or choose instead simply to revoke the waiver placement. In the last scenario, Kinsler would remain under control of the Tigers, but in effect he would no longer be able to be traded this year. (Detroit could still put him on waivers again, but this time would not have the option to revoke the placement.)
According to prior reports, Kinsler’s waiver period ended at noon CST yesterday. From that point on, any claiming team would have 48 hours to work out a deal, meaning we’re just past the halfway point in that period. It’s likely, then, that the Tigers are still working with the mystery team to resolve Kinsler’s fate.
The 35-year-old is a steady performer, even if he may not again match last year’s top-quality output. Kinsler has consistently rated as a premium defender at second and has long been an above-average hitter. That he’s now carries a below-average batting line on the year isn’t much of a concern given his track record, evidence of poor fortune in 2017 (.260 BABIP on a career-best 37.1% hard-hit rate), and the high floor that his glove creates.
That profile makes Kinsler’s contract seem like a fairly valuable asset. He’s earning $11MM this year — with something like $3MM left to go — and can be retained via club option for $12MM for 2018. (The $5MM buyout likely won’t come into play.) Plugging in a perennial first-division regular at that kind of rate would hold appeal to quite a few organizations; clearly, at least one has real interest. Whether or not the claiming team has significant enough interest to get the Tigers to bite on a deal, though, remains to be seen.
What about the NTC?
Its a partial one if memory serves. But yes if the team that claims him is on the list he can veto it or use it as leverage to get an extension.
Good
Could be the Yankees. They’ve been without Starlin Castro for multiple extended periods of time this year and he would probably be viewed as an upgrade by the New York front office over the Torreyes/Wade platoon.
Castro is said to be due back by next weekend.
Could use him as extra insurance at second or as a DH with Holliday out and his struggles
Why so many dislikes to this comment? Kinsler could’ve finished the season with the Yankees, boosted their lineup, and then be traded in the offseason.
Yeah Kinsler could have been with the yankees, but many have a hate on for the Yankees and don’t want to see him there. Hence the dislikes.
Very well could be Milwaukee I know that they have been interested in him.
Probably the Brewers
Diamondbacks can use him about now.
Blue Jays, maybe?
Jays are on his “no-trade” list.
mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2014/01/report_ian_kins…
Nah he’s already rejected a trade there before and he won’t want to go to a team who has an outside shot of making it to the post season
I wish it was the Blue Jays. Atkins has to do something to help the Major league level club. Oh wait Atkins has done something to drastically help the Blue Jays, he traded for Rob Refsnyder who isn’t even a MLB level player. Sarcasm heavy.
Atkins…asleep at the wheel !
Omg would I be trading some jays….Kevin “where’s my bat”Pillar….Devon “glass man” Travis ……tista, well just retire already
Thinking Lopez looking good though !!
Jays should be bringing up and having a good look in my opinion….but wth do I know
Interesting. I wonder if the tigers would let him be claimed for nothing. I don’t think they would but what do you guys think
I think he has too much value to just to let him walk
Even though they are looking to shed as much payroll as is feasible, he still has value. They should at least get a low-level guy for him.
Red Sox fan here, I think he’s a perfect fit for the Yankees
They have that opportunity. Probably want something in return though so it will look like less of a salary dump.
My guess is its the Yankees and they will use Castro at DH. Could be the Red Sox as well as they might have plans to move him to 1B
How do you “salary dump” a player who is worth more than his salary? It’s impossible for any team to make it look like a salary dump, even if they try.
How about Cubs? Put him at 2B and lead off, Zobrist goes to LF. Baez plays at SS, and you can still fill in underperforming Russell and Schwarber at times too…seems too cheap a fix to win this year and no mortgage future assets or even playing time next year. It’s becoming a tight division and need to have some “win now” mentality
Given the way waiver wire claim system works, it’s probably one of the teams around .500 mark in AL trying for the second wildcard slot, or possibly a team in similar situation retooling for next year. I think this rules out most teams, except, I think, Blue Jays or Angels (or, possibly, the Royals.) They could all use a second baseman, but I could also see why none of them would have the pieces that the Tigers would want in a trade.
Could just be a team blocking him from getting to all of these “perfect fits”.
Thats what I think.
Angels? With Escobar hurt. They could bring him in and move Cowart to third base.
Tigers should keep him he’s been what they wanted since they got him
Haha. thanks whoever claimed him.
Destined to be claimed and pulled back… who said that two days ago, I wonder?
Probably not you. You don’t seem like the type to tap yourself on the back.
Well it was. Do I win a cookie? I want a cookie.
Sure Mr Rickles, have a cookie. Then ring the bell and go to history.
Know if Tigers decided to put him back on Wavier’s the claiming Team just gets him.
Angels and Rays make the most sense to me and I feel like it’s an American League team
He’d look good in Dodger blue
Now I like Kinsler but he hasn’t produced much more this year than Forsythe and he’ll get a lot of pine riding time anyway when Gonzales comes back.
I was joking. Seems a lot of Dodger fans say this even though the lineup is quite full and set.
With Pedroia possibly going back on DL I could see Boston but a lot of AL Teams would have had to pass before Kinsler got to the Sox.
It would make 100% sense that a team rebuilding won the waiver on kinsler a couldn’t move him for worthy prospects.
I’ll bet Cardinals or Pirates claimed him to prevent a Milwaukee trade.
It was some team in the NL Central. If it wasn’t the Cardinals, it was the Pirates. It would have to be a team with a worse record than the Brewers, as we know the Brewers did not win the claim. There is no way that either Pittsburgh or St. Louis is going to let Milwaukee get Kinsler.
I am going to say it was the Pirates, just based on GM Neal Huntington’s comments on his weekly Sunday talk show last week.
Not a big deal, but Kinsler’s 2018 team option is actually worth $10M, not $12M as stated in the article (sources: Cot’s, Spotrac). It’s easy to see why other teams are interested. Even in a “down year” (by his standards), Kinsler’s still accrued 2.1 WAR this season.
Bet it was the Halos
That is what I’m thinking. Just him away from AK when he comes to visit.
For those saying it’s the Brewers….the article clearly states that the Brewers did not win the claim for Kinsler….meaning it was another unknown team that won the claim but could not work out a deal for him…..the Brewers were interested but lost the claim and have since acquired Walker….