The Tigers have made the first blockbuster trade of the offseason, trading Prince Fielder to Texas in exchange for second baseman Ian Kinsler.
The team confirmed the move late Wednesday evening, and reaction from Tigers players was quick to arrive.
"Wow!!! Big news... We traded Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler," tweeted Justin Verlander shortly after the trade was reported.
Team president Dave Dombrowski and manager Brad Ausmus discussed the deal in a teleconference that lasted past midnight.
"We are very happy to acquire a proven player in Ian Kinsler," Dombrowski said. "He's an everyday second baseman who has played very well at the major-league level for several years now.
"At the same time, we want to thank Prince Fielder for his contributions to our ballclub. He's been an All-Star for us for two years, and he drove in over 100 runs both years. That's not easy."
Dombrowski said that he had traded text messages with Fielder as the trade took shape.
"Prince is on vacation in the Bahamas, and when I tried to call him, he didn't answer and his voice mailbox was full, so I texted him. He responded and thanked me and said he appreciated his time here."
The Tigers talked to several other teams at last week's winter meetings, but this deal came together in just over 24 hours.
"I called a few clubs yesterday to touch base on Monday, and one of the teams was Texas," Dombrowski said Tuesday night. "John Daniels said it was a deal that might make sense for the Rangers, so we talked a few more times yesterday, and by this morning, we were working on financial agreements."
Money played a huge role in getting the deal done. Kinsler is signed for the next four seasons at a cost of $57 million, with a $12 million team option for 2018, when he would be 36. Fielder, on the other hand, is signed for seven years and $168 million. He will also be 36 at the end of the contract.
The Tigers are sending cash to Texas -- $30 million, according to multiple reports -- but will still save over $75 million on the deal. That could be used to make a offer to Max Scherzer, who said after winning the Cy Young that he would be willing to talk about a contract extension before he can become a free agent at the end of next season.
The trade fills Detroit's hole at second base with a three-time All-Star, and also gives Fielder a fresh start after his poor postseason performance and controversial comments after the ALCS.
Dombrowski confirmed reports that Fielder could have blocked the trade under the terms of his contract, but chose not to do so.
Both players had disappointing seasons by their own standards in 2013 -- Fielder hit 25 homers, the fewest of his career in a full season, and also posted his lowest slugging percentage and OPS since his rookie season.
Fielder then hit .225 in 11 postseason games, failing to drive in a run, and angered fans after the team was eliminated by shrugging off the defeat as just another day at work.
Kinsler hit .277 with 13 homers and 15 steals, a long way from his 30-30 seasons in 2009 and 2011. He's a strong defensive second baseman, though, and even though his on-base percentage was only .344 last season, he would still be Detroit's best candidate to hit leadoff. Austin Jackson lost that job during a horrific postseason, and will never fulfill his promise as a leadoff hitter without cutting down drastically on his strikeouts.
"Getting Ian gives us another strong option at the top of our lineup," Ausmus said. "We've got Austin Jackson, Torii Hunter and Ian who are all possibilities to bat first and second, but we don't have to make those decisions right now. It's still early in the offseason, but whatever we do, Ian gives us a dynamic presence at the top of the order."
Fielder is one of the worst defensive players in baseball. The Tigers will probably move Miguel Cabrera, a defensive liability at third, back to his natural position and send Nick Castellanos to third, where he started his pro career. Victor Martinez can also play first base when Cabrera needs a day at DH.
"We see Miguel as a first baseman down the road, but we have some discussions to have before we make any decisions as to whether that might be this year," Dombrowski said. "The same is true about moving Castellanos back to third. It's certainly something we will discuss, but there aren't any final decisions this early in the process."
With Cabrera moving back to first, a double-play combination of Kinsler and Jose Iglesias and either Castellanos or Peralta at third, Detroit's infield defense would go from a major weakness to a strength.
The move does hurt the Tigers offensively, though. Kinsler didn't hit as well as Omar Infante last season, and is probably an offensive toss-up moving forward. Castellanos is unlikely to fill Fielder's offensive numbers in his first major-league season, even if Fielder continues to struggle at the plate.
That said, it seems certain that Dombrowski will make more moves before the 2014 season. If Castellanos goes to third, it would open up a spot for a free agent in leftfield, with Shin-Soo Choo being an obvious candidate. Choo is represented by super-agent Scott Boras, as are Fielder and Scherzer.
With three months to go before spring training and Dombrowski's propensity for pulling major moves out of nowhere, it's a safe bet that Detroit's roster will have changed again before the team heads for Florida.
