Ian Kinsler, long time Texas Rangers second baseman, is retiring, he announced today. Kinsler, who spent the 2019 season with the San Diego Padres, will be joining the Padres front office.
Kinsler was a 17th round pick of the Rangers in 2003, and was their everyday second baseman from 2006-13, a stretch where he was one of the best second baseman in baseball, putting up a 35.0 bWAR in that period.
The Rangers sent him to the Detroit Tigers after the 2013 season in the ill-fated trade for Prince Fielder, which arguably is the worst trade of Jon Daniels’ tenure as Ranger general manager.