Prince Fielder to the Rangers for Ian Kinsler?

[Sweetwater Red]

The Detroit Tigers have agreed to trade first baseman Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler, a source confirmed to ESPN.

The agreement was first reported by CBSSports.com.

Physicals are still needed to complete the deal, and another unidentified player could be involved in the deal, according to the report.

The Rangers are reportedly one of the team's included in Fielder's limited no-trade clause. Fielder would have to waive his right to veto the deal, but, according to the report, Fielder is likely to do just that.

Fielder, 29, hit .279 with 25 home runs and 106 RBIs last season, his second with the Tigers. Fielder signed a nine-year, $214 million contract with Detroit prior to the 2012 season.

Kinsler, 31, hit .277 with 13 home runs and 72 RBIs last season with Texas.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10008050/detroit-tigers-agree-trade-prince-fielder-texas-rangers-ian-kinsler?ex_cid=espnapi_public

[Sweetwater Red]

In hindsight the Tigers way overpaid for Fielder and he didn't produce this season, couldn't protect Miguel
and went MIA in the 2013 post season.

Detroit has needed a 2nd baseman since Dave Dombroski admittingly made one of his worse moves as
GM by not re-signing Placido Polanco quite a few years back and the Tigers haven't had a quality 2nd
baseman since.

I am a life long Tigers fan and extremely pleased with this trade it it goes through.

[Sweetwater Red]

Haha, wow was I late or what? :doh:

Guess, I'll just copy and paste my comments on the thread that was started 20 minutes ago :D

[SintonFan_inAustin]

In hindsight the Tigers way overpaid for Fielder and he didn't produce this season, couldn't protect Miguel
and went MIA in the 2013 post season.

Detroit has needed a 2nd baseman since Dave Dombroski admittingly made one of his worse moves as
GM by not re-signing Placido Polanco quite a few years back and the Tigers haven't had a quality 2nd
baseman since.

I am a life long Tigers fan and extremely pleased with this trade it it goes through.seems it works out for both. Kinsler was one of my favorite players so hate to see him go. Would had prefer Elvis to be traded but wouldn't work out as Detriot need was a 2nd basemen.

[Sweetwater Red]

seems it works out for both. Kinsler was one of my favorite players so hate to see him go. Would had prefer Elvis to be traded but wouldn't work out as Detriot need was a 2nd basemen.

I'm curious to see who the other player is that might be involved. Detroit already gave up quite a bit to get Iglesias to replace Peralta
during his 50 game ban but I'm guessing it's the Rangers that might throw another player in.

[SintonFan_inAustin]

I'm curious to see who the other player is that might be involved. Detroit already gave up quite a bit to get Iglesias to replace Peralta
during his 50 game ban but I'm guessing it's the Rangers that might throw another player in.yea doesn't mention which team is giving up the extra player.

[Deuce]

Everything I have seen says that its only a 2 player deal and the Rangers will get back cash!

[Sweetwater Red]

Everything I have seen says that its only a 2 player deal and the Rangers will get back cash!

I'm good with that and now Cabrera can move back to 1B which is where he should have been all along. Moving him from 3B
is an immediate upgrade to their defense no matter who they bring in to play and now maybe he can stay healthy for the entire
2014 season.

[Deuce]

Rangers get back 30 million in the deal. Rangers will only pay Prince 138 million over 7 years.

[zebrablue2]

Love Ian and the way he plays the game, gonna miss him. The prince better come with personal trainer and some drive:)

[Txbroadcaster]

seems it works out for both. Kinsler was one of my favorite players so hate to see him go. Would had prefer Elvis to be traded but wouldn't work out as Detriot need was a 2nd basemen.

You are literally the only person I know that wanted to trade Elvis over Ian LOL

[Sweetwater Red]

The prince better come with personal trainer and some drive:)

Couldn't agree more.

[Tejastrue]

Should have traded Profar. Looks like the Murphy deal to Cleveland is almost done too.

[Tin Cup]

The only option was to keep Elvis and Profar. Kinsler was the easiest possible trade bait. Anyone that disagrees needs to be an Astros fan or something. Now we need a catcher and LF and we are in business.

[Tejastrue]

LOL. Yes, would have taken Kinsler over Profar any day. Tigers got what they needed. Rangers have digressed.

[Txbroadcaster]

LOL. Yes, would have taken Kinsler over Profar any day. Tigers got what they needed. Rangers have digressed.

how have they digressed? they fixed a log jam at 2B/SS by adding power that they were missing last year

[Tejastrue]

To give up a proven player hoping the prospects will flourish is digression to me. I'm just not sold on Profar. Sardinas maybe...but the Rangers appear to be set on Profar. I also think the outfield is just fine after the way Gentry came on late in the season.

[Txbroadcaster]

To give up a proven player hoping the prospects will flourish is digression to me. I'm just not sold on Profar. Sardinas maybe...but the Rangers appear to be set on Profar. I also think the outfield is just fine after the way Gentry came on late in the season.


They had to move one...Kinsler is not 22 so moving the older more expensive one IMO is best move....the outfield is badly in need of some changes..no power in it right now

[cougartino]

Just another bat to whoop the Astros sorry behind!

[coach]

They should have traded him at the deadline. O well, I am just glad he is gone.

[Macarthur]

LOL. Yes, would have taken Kinsler over Profar any day. Tigers got what they needed. Rangers have digressed.

Huh?

[Macarthur]

Fielders numbers did dip last year, but you have to factor in that ballpark. He is going to put up monster numbers at TBPIA.

[Sweetwater Red]

Fielders numbers did dip last year, but you have to factor in that ballpark. He is going to put up monster numbers at TBPIA.


His numbers dipped because he was busy hitting into bases loaded inning ending
double plays or striking out immediately after Cabrera was intentionally walked.
The stadium had nothing to do with it IMO. He just simply appears to be on the
decline.

[coach]

His numbers dipped because he was busy hitting into bases loaded inning ending
double plays or striking out immediately after Cabrera was intentionally walked.
The stadium had nothing to do with it IMO. He just simply appears to be on the
decline.

lol and what the hell do you think ian did all year?

[Sweetwater Red]

lol and what the hell do you think ian did all year?

Maybe so but Kinsler wasn't being paid $200 million plus to protect the best hitter
in baseball.

[coach]

Maybe so but Kinsler wasn't being paid $200 million plus to protect the best hitter
in baseball.

So, who is going to protect Miggy now?

[Emerson1]

His numbers dipped because he was busy hitting into bases loaded inning ending
double plays or striking out immediately after Cabrera was intentionally walked.
The stadium had nothing to do with it IMO. He just simply appears to be on the
decline.

Statistically Detroit whatever it's called Park was better for left handed hitters last year than the Ballpark in Arlington. According to JD at least.

[Sweetwater Red]

So, who is going to protect Miggy now?

Victor Martinez. He was doing a great job of it until he tore his ACL
in Spring training. That's when Mike Illitch (owner) said go get Fielder.
Dombrowski did but it just hasn't worked out and Victor is healthy again.

[Deuce]

They had to move one...Kinsler is not 22 so moving the older more expensive one IMO is best move....the outfield is badly in need of some changes..no power in it right now

I have to agree. I am as big of Kinsler fan as anybody, but one of the middle infielders had to be moved and Kinsler was the only logical one to go. Pofar will be a better player in the long run and he is dirt cheap right now! Plus add in the fact that the Tigers are paying for 30 million of Princes contract. This is a no brainer and a solid trade for both teams!

[panther89]

I like the trade, if Prince doesn't decline anymore. He had 25 home runs and 106 RBI last year. Kinsler was at 12 and 72. I know, I know, first basemen are supposed to put up big numbers so there shouldn't be any comparison. Hopefully with the old "change of scenery" cliche, Fielder will get back to 35 homers and 120 RBI.

Kinsler was the only logical choice to move. I like Ian, and hate to see him go, but I believe that Profar will step in and do just fine in Ian's place. My question is now, what do they do with Moreland, and who is the DH for this team?

[Macarthur]

His numbers dipped because he was busy hitting into bases loaded inning ending
double plays or striking out immediately after Cabrera was intentionally walked.
The stadium had nothing to do with it IMO. He just simply appears to be on the
decline.

We'll see. It appears both teams got what they wanted.

Make no mistake, kinsler s best years are behind him. He's still a decent player but if you got frustrated with prince striking out or grounding into a DL, wait until you see kinsler getting repeatedly picked off base w his head up his ass or his endless number of pop ups.

[caleb_mccaig]

This move really fired me up. Both teams win IMO. We get a big bat for our ballpark and we get someone who will protect Beltre and Rios.

For those who say Prince is on the decline, IMO he had a bad year. It happens to everyone, look at Murphy's numbers last year compared to his career. Prince is only 29 and since 06 when he came into the league hasn't played less than 157 games a year. It gives us a huge upgrade at first base (batting wise) and lets Profar finally get solid playing time. I wouldn't be surprised if Fielder hit 35-45 hr's next year.

Some other trades I've been hearing talk about is somehow people are saying that the Cardinals would somehow accept a Profar for Taveras deal which I think would be totally idiotic if St. Louis accepted and I've heard Texas becoming a front runner for Cano. If JD gives Cano north of $200 million I might shoot myself.

Really wish Jorge Alfaro was ready to come up so we didn't have to spend on a catcher such as Napoli or McCann. He's going to end up being our next top prospect.

[Sweetwater Red]

We'll see. It appears both teams got what they wanted.

wait until you see kinsler getting repeatedly picked off base w his head up his ass or his endless number of pop ups.


Yes it does. This deal gives the Tigers an immediate upgrade defensively at first, second and third plus frees up
money to re-sign Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. Maybe there will be enough money left to go after Joe Nathan too.

Yeah, I've seen and heard enough about his pop-ups. Hopefully that can be coached out of him. Getting picked off of first
will piss me off though. I hate when that happens at the HS level with our kids let alone in the pros.

[Sville]

Keith Law of ESPN wrote a good piece on this trade for ESPN Insider. Both teams made their teams better and Law states that the Rangers got the best part of deal.

Detroit: It upgrades the Tigers defensively, Fielder gave up an average 10 runs a season with his play at 1st base. It allows them to platoon Cabrera and Martinez at 1st. Moving Cabrera of the hot corner will help keep him healthy and improve their defense at both corners plus 2nd base. Most importantly it frees up money for them to sign Scherzer and Cabrera in a couple of years.

Rangers: Kinsler is 31 and his range and power numbers have started to decline. Fielder is 29 and has hit 25 HRs in every full year of his MLB career. Fielder gives the Rangers the much needed power left handed bat and his numbers should increase playing 81 at TBPA. This also allows the top prospect in baseball to take over 2nd. Profar will have better range and his hitting should improve. The Rangers will also be able to play Fielder more at DH allowing the better defensive Moreland to play 1st.

Keith Law: "If the Rangers move Prince to DH, as they should, they can roll with Mitch Moreland at first base, as the market doesn't offer them an ideal upgrade at the position, and they get to play top prospect Jurickson Profar every day at second base or perhaps at shortstop. Profar was the No. 1 prospect in baseball coming into 2013 and showed flashes of that ability in the majors, although his playing time was inconsistent and he ended up playing four positions over the course of the season. He has a very advanced approach for his age and surprising pop for a player who's not that physical, boasting strong hands and good bat speed from both sides of the plate. He could be a plus-plus defender at short, but with Elvis Andrus in the house and under contract for forever and a day, Profar may end up at second base long term, where he'll also be a big defensive asset but has to learn to stay out of harm's way on the double play. This trade and its ripple effect could easily result in a four- to six-win upgrade for the Rangers this year over what they would have had with Kinsler at second and Profar in another 400 at-bat super-utility role. "

[Tejastrue]

Heard someone made reference to Fielder as another Carlos Lee. lol

[Tejastrue]

They had to move one...Kinsler is not 22 so moving the older more expensive one IMO is best move....the outfield is badly in need of some changes..no power in it right now When you say power I guess you are referring to home runs. They are great but give me a guy that hits for the average and slaps doubles and occasional triples all day.

[panther89]

When you say power I guess you are referring to home runs. They are great but give me a guy that hits for the average and slaps doubles and occasional triples all day.

Fielder's average was better than Kinsler's. Not by much, but a little. Fielder had 34 more RBI. Play Fielder a lot at DH, and let Moreland play 1st to spell Fielder in the field (dang that was hard to say and hard to type). Profar I believe is better defensively at 2nd than Kinsler (although Kins was above average).

We shall see how this all shakes out, but right now I like the trade.

[cougartino]

Heard someone made reference to Fielder as another Carlos Lee. lol

:fnypost:

[GrTigers6]

Kinslers errors have gone up while hit bat has gone done. I love kinsler too but you cant keep all three Elvis, Profar and kinsler. Obviously kinsler is older and declining so its logical to send him off.

[Sweetwater Red]

This is a good read for both Tiger and Ranger fans from ESPN's Buster Olney's Blog.


Winners and losers of Kinsler-Fielder deal


November, 21, 2013
Nov 21
11:00
AM ET
By Buster Olney | ESPN.com



Here are the biggest winners of the Detroit Tigers-Texas Rangers blockbuster, and the biggest losers:

Winners

1. Detroit Tigers: General manager David Dombrowski described to reporters how quickly this deal came together in a little over 24 hours, and you can understand the scramble by Detroit to finish this. In the Tigers’ front office, there must have been a rush of adrenaline similar to what the Red Sox experienced when they were able to unload the contracts of Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

When teams sign megadeals like the nine-year, $214 million contract that Prince Fielder got in January 2012, executives will privately tell you that their reasonable hope is for a few good years of elite production before the gradual decline begins and the final years of the deal turn ugly.

The Tigers already may have seen Fielder reach that crossroads from elite player into something less in 2013, in the second year of the contract. Fielder’s OPS dropped 121 points last summer, and Daniel Nava, Brandon Belt, Mike Napoli and Marlon Byrd were among the 36 players who posted a higher OPS. Fielder’s walk/strikeout rate plummeted from 1.01 in 2012 to 0.64. Remember: Hitting is what Fielder is supposed to do well.

In the postseason, Fielder’s at-bats were alarming. He constantly swung at pitches out of the strike zone, and at one point, he saw a total of six pitches in the span of four at-bats -- which was read by some evaluators as a sign that Fielder was concerned about getting into two-strike counts.

Immediately after the American League Championship Series, Fielder made comments that angered some in the organization. From Jason Beck’s story Oct. 20:

Afterward, though, the 29-year-old slugger preached perspective.

Asked if this loss is going to linger more than others, Fielder said: "I got kids, man."

"You have to be a man about it," he added. "I have kids. If I'm sitting around pouting about it, how am I going to tell them to keep their chins or keep their heads up when something doesn't go their way? It's over.

"It isn't really tough, man, for me [to move on]. It's over. I have kids I have to take care of, so, for me it's over, bro."

Told fans may be upset to hear him shake off a disappointing loss so quickly, Fielder said: "They don't play."


Fielder has missed a total -- a total -- of 13 games in the past eight seasons. He answers the bell everyday, and for that, he is greatly respected.

But there are concerns about his body, about whether he’ll be able to continue to be a good hitter as he ages -- and now the Tigers have passed off all those issues to another organization.

Ian Kinsler, 31, has regressed as well, and he is a dead-pull hitter with a .200 career average in Comerica Park in 36 games. But he's under contract for only four more seasons, and is a reasonable option to play second base for at least a couple of more seasons.

The biggest thing, however, is that the Tigers escape $138 million in salary obligation to a player who has either started sliding on the downslope of his career, or will soon. The Tigers’ payroll situation immediately improves, at a time when they must find ways to pay Max Scherzer and Miguel Cabrera in the years ahead. Their payroll flexibility gets better, their infield defense gets better. This is a great deal for Detroit.

The Tigers were lucky they found a way to unload Fielder’s contract, writes Drew Sharp.

This was a shrewd Dombrowski move, writes Bob Wojnowski.

2. Prince Fielder: He was going to be paid either way, and Fielder now shifts into a home ballpark that is a better fit for his swing, and he has a chance to make his mark in history and pass some big names in the years ahead.

Only four lefties in major league history -- Ken Griffey Jr., Eddie Mathews, Mel Ott and Adam Dunn -- have hit more home runs before turning 30 than Fielder, and that doesn’t include Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig. Fielder doesn’t turn 30 until May 9 next season.
WAR Story

Kinsler and Fielder since 2008 based on Baseball Reference's wins above replacement.
YEAR KINSLER FIELDER
2008 4.6 1.6
2009 6.0 6.3
2010 4.2 1.7
2011 7.0 4.6
2012 2.1 4.9
2013 4.9 1.7


Fielder joins Alex Rodriguez, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez as the only players to be traded with more than $100 million remaining on their contracts.

3. Jurickson Profar: Despite being one of the best prospects in baseball, Profar was blocked by the presence of Kinsler and Elvis Andrus, and for all involved, from manager Ron Washington to the players, this was an uncomfortable situation. Now Kinsler is gone and Profar is positioned perfectly to step into the Texas lineup.

The path has been cleared for Profar to take over at second, writes Drew Davison.

4. Nick Castellanos: He is one of the top third-base prospects in the game, and yet the Tigers had started using Castellanos in the outfield in the minors because they had nowhere for him to play in the big leagues. Now Castellanos will have the chance to win the Tigers' third-base job, with Cabrera sliding over to first base. Castellanos, 21, had 56 extra-base hits in 134 games in Triple-A last year.

5. Max Scherzer: Given the dollars devoted to Justin Verlander, Cabrera and Fielder, it was hard to see how Detroit could retain Scherzer, who has been outspoken about how much he likes pitching for the Tigers. This deal gives the Tigers more money to work with, and a better chance at keeping Scherzer.

6. Fans in right field in Arlington: Their chances for grabbing souvenirs will climb dramatically, because Fielder will fill the stands there with home run balls, in batting practice and games.

7. Detroit pitchers: There’s no getting around the fact that the Tigers' infield defense has been terrible. Cabrera was better than expected at third, but still among the worst at his position, as was Fielder. Now Cabrera can shift back to where he belongs, and the left side of the Detroit infield -- which was really bad with Jhonny Peralta and Cabrera -- could be a plus defensively, and help ground ball pitchers such as Rick Porcello, assuming he is retained. Some advanced metrics indicate that no pitcher's performance has been more damaged by his defense than that of Porcello.

8. The 2014 Rangers: They went into the offseason desperately needing to add thump to the middle of their lineup, and undoubtedly, they have done that. In the first season after Josh Hamilton moved on, the Rangers had a total of 69 homers by left-handed hitters. Fielder has shown that he’s capable of hitting 45 or 50 himself, and he’ll love hitting in the Ballpark, with its prevailing winds streaming toward right field.

Fielder should make the Rangers offense better in the immediate future.

Texas GM Jon Daniels is fearless, and there are more big deals to come, writes Jean-Jacques Taylor. Daniels is under pressure, writes Randy Galloway.

Richard Durrett thinks the trade makes sense.

9. The Yankees: A fourth ring was added to the A-Rod circus Wednesday, with Rodriguez storming out of the arbitration hearing, and the Yankees will have to continue to wait, hamstrung, to get resolution of A-Rod’s status and the Robinson Cano negotiations. But with the Rangers trading for Fielder, Texas may not be as aggressive in talking with some of the free agents that the Yankees are considering.

Losers

1. The Rangers, 2015 and beyond: They have now invested about $20 million a year in the downside of Fielder's career, through the 2020 season. Yes, Fielder could eventually transition into a DH role, but it's fair to wonder if they would've been better served by a more conservative investment. A year ago, they shied away from spending big dollars on Josh Hamilton partly because they were concerned about the signs of regression that popped up in the last four months of the 2012 season, and because they worried about whether Hamilton could continue to be productive into his mid-30s.

A year later, they've bought big-time into a player attached to the same kind of questions.

This deal raises other questions for the Rangers, writes Evan Grant -- who plays first, and who will be in left field.

2. The Rangers’ other infielders: Adrian Beltre has been one of the best-fielding third basemen of all time, but he is unconventional in how he throws, with the ball sinking and veering -- and if Fielder is the first baseman, Beltre will not have a great safety net, because Fielder is simply not that adept at digging out throws.

3. Some free agents: The Rangers still need a right fielder and have some DH flexibility, so they could sign at least one free agent -- but not two. Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Nelson Cruz, Napoli and others are among the free agents who could really benefit from the additional negotiating leverage that Texas adds.

I asked a rival evaluator to chime in. His response:

I think it’s a win-win deal. It wasn't working [for Fielder in Detroit] as hoped there and he was getting worse, although in his two seasons it's worth noting they reached the World Series and the ALCS. All the other rationales behind the trade are valid. I didn't see him that much at the end of the season, but our scouts still liked Fielder a lot. The one caveat -- our guys were not crazy about Kinsler and feel as though he is fading, but he is owed so much less money than Fielder that it's worth it.

I also like the deal for Texas and feel that Fielder will really benefit from a better ballpark and a change of scenery. The Rangers need lefty power and he should thrive in that ballpark. It frees up opportunities for Profar to play second and they get more dynamic offensively. It's big money, for sure, and it could be the end of the line for Fielder.

The deal is all about Fielder. You know what you are going to get with Kinsler -- you know about the money savings and what it means to the pitching and defense. What we don't know is if Fielder -- who had his worst full season since his first full season -- is in the start of a big decline or if it was just a blip on the radar. My bet is Fielder hits for the next couple of years and improves in Texas over what he has become in Detroit. I see him back to 35-plus homoers and .900-plus OPS. If that happens it's a win-win deal.


From a second evaluator:

This could be a great trade for the Tigers. Fielder is a good player, but not a star. His numbers in Texas could go up. Really best suited as a DH.


A third evaluator chimed in:

I think the trade is a tick better for the Tigers than the Rangers, but I'm not convinced that it's all that bad for Texas. First of all, they truly believe that they can replace Kinsler's production (or close to it, with better defense) with a league-minimum salary in Profar, so they're essentially moving surplus and buying a free agent in Fielder for what it could be argued is a below-market rate (which is more a reflection of the market itself rather than a subjective evaluation of his true value).

Now are there risks with Fielder at seven years and $130 million-plus? For sure, though I'm less inclined to think that his 2013 season was truly representative of what he is now as a hitter and see it more as an anomaly. I think he'll get back to his low to mid .900-OPS type production for the next few seasons, and they always have the DH spot for him.

Now what I don't know, and what perhaps Texas feels like they know, is how they see this guy holding up over the next seven years, what drives him, what may have contributed to his down year this year, and whether or not he'll remain "fit" enough to continue to produce over at least the next five seasons at something resembling his career line.

That being said, overall for the next few seasons I think Texas is a better team because of this trade, but the impact it will have on the Detroit roster moving forward is probably even more significant, what with Cabrera moving off third base, them saving $70 million or so, and perhaps now having the money to re-sign Scherzer.

As with any lengthy free-agent deal, the Fielder contract will no doubt look pretty bad in years six and seven, but apparently Texas is one of those teams that is willing to take that financial risk at this point. But if the only tangible downside for Texas if they look at it this way is in five years when his contract truly becomes dead weight, then they're clearly trying to take advantage of what they consider a window of opportunity in the next few seasons.

[caleb_mccaig]

Don't want to quote that article because it's so long Sweetwater Red, but good read!

I really agree with the third evaluator when he says we're trying to take advantage of a window of opportunity. He hit's the nail on the head by saying that. This is probably the best rotation the Texas Rangers have ever had in Darvish, Holland, Perez, Harrison and whoever ends up being the five. These next few years are crucial and I'm really looking forward to them!

[Sweetwater Red]

Don't want to quote that article because it's so long Sweetwater Red, but good read!

I really agree with the third evaluator when he says we're trying to take advantage of a window of opportunity. He hit's the nail on the head by saying that. This is probably the best rotation the Texas Rangers have ever had in Darvish, Holland, Perez, Harrison and whoever ends up being the five. These next few years are crucial and I'm really looking forward to them!


Yes it was, Olney knows his stuff. I really hope it works out the Tigers and Rangers for the next few years.
It's rare that a trade of this magnitude is lauded by the majority of fans for both teams but I'm already
looking forward to next season. I'd love a Detroit vs. Texas ALDS or ALCS.

[Sweetwater Red]

Yes it does. This deal gives the Tigers an immediate upgrade defensively at first, second and third plus frees up
money to re-sign Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. Maybe there will be enough money left to go after Joe Nathan too.


http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10072825/joe-nathan-detroit-tigers-close-deal


Joe Nathan, Detroit Tigers close

Updated: December 3, 2013, 1:23 PM ET
ESPN.com news services



The Detroit Tigers are close to a deal with free-agent closer Joe Nathan, a source told ESPN's Buster Olney.


David Pepe, Nathan's agent, declined to comment on the original report by Foxsports.com.

The pending deal comes after Brian Wilson, who had also been in negotiations with the club, broke off talks with Detroit to explore other opportunities, a baseball source told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.

Nathan, 39, is tied with Rollie Fingers for 10th place on baseball's career list with 341 saves. He went 6-2 with a 1.39 ERA and 43 saves and made his sixth All-Star team with the Texas Rangers in 2013.

Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski made upgrading the bullpen an offseason priority after the Tigers' relief corps struggled in the American League Championship loss to Boston. Nathan takes over at closer for Joaquin Benoit, who filed for free agency after notching 24 saves in 2013.

The Tigers traded starter Doug Fister to Washington on Monday, and will move Drew Smyly from the bullpen to the rotation in 2014. Left-hander Ian Krol, who went 2-1 with a 3.95 ERA in 32 appearances with the Nationals, will try to pick up some of the slack created by Smyly's transition to starting.

Nathan made the All-Star team both seasons with Texas after signing a two-year deal following the 2011 season, his first after Tommy John surgery forced him to miss the 2010 season.

Nathan wanted to prove he could close again, and he did that with Texas. Because he reached 55 appearances, he had the right to void the final year of his contract, which would have paid him $9 million had the Rangers decided to exercise it and keep him.

[SintonFan_inAustin]

Rangers moving Neftali Feliz back as closer?

[SintonFan_inAustin]

Rangers traded Gentry today...

http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/12/the-texas-rangers-trade-craig-gentry-josh-lindblom-to-as-for-chris-bostick-michael-choice.html/