The Texas Rangers have acquired first baseman Prince Fielder and cash considerations from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for second baseman Ian Kinsler, it was announced tonight.
Fielder, 29, is a five-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, finishing in the top five in Most Valuable Player voting on three occasions. In 2013, he batted .279 with 25 home runs and 106 RBI in 162 games with the A.L. Central Division champion Tigers. He tied for the A.L. lead in games and was fifth in RBI.
Over the course of his major league career, the left-handed hitter has averaged 35 home runs, 33 doubles, and 107 RBI for every 162 games. He has at least 25 home runs in each of the last 8 seasons, with 6 different campaigns of 100-or-more RBI. He has appeared in at least 157 games in 8 consecutive seasons, including playing in each of his team's 162 contests in each of the last 3 years and 4 times overall in his career.
Fielder is one of 11 active players with at least 6 different 100+ RBI seasons as well as 8-or-more 25+ home run campaigns. Among players to appear in 2013, Fielder is on a list of seven with career minimums of a .285 average, .385 on-base percentage, and .525 slugging mark. The others on that list are Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday, Joey Votto, and the retiring Todd Helton.
He has appeared in the postseason in 3 straight seasons and 4 times overall, going to the World Series with Detroit in 2012. He is a career .265 hitter with a .965 OPS figure, 4 home runs, and 15 RBI in 13 career games at Rangers Ballpark.
Overall, Fielder's career batting average is .286 with 285 home runs and 870 RBI in 1322 games with Milwaukee (2005-11) and Detroit (2012-13). He signed a nine-year contract as a free agent with Detroit that extends through the 2020 season on January 27, 2012.
Kinsler, 31, batted .277 with 13 homers and 72 RBI in 136 games for Texas in 2013, his eighth season with the club. He was on the disabled list from May 18-June 14 with a right intercostals strain. The three-time All-Star has a career batting average of .273 with 156 homers and 539 RBI in 1066 games from 2006-13 with Texas. He is the Rangers' all-time leader in stolen bases (172) and hit by pitches (57) and ranks fifth in runs (748).
