It is no secret that the hot name to be moved this offseason is Ian Kinsler. The Detroit Tigers’ second baseman is in his final year of a very team friendly deal. With the hot stove of baseball’s offseason heating up, Kinsler’s name has once again resurfaced.

Avila says Tigers are engaged in trade talks regarding Ian Kinsler. “Right now there’d be a possibility of a trade happening here,” Avila said. “I couldn’t tell you if it’s going to happen or not.”

— Jason Beck (@beckjason) December 11, 2017

With the team in a full rebuild, it makes sense to dump the $11 million and clear a spot for younger, less expensive guys to play. Kinsler was even a name we threw around in a trade as a part of our offseason blueprint.

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Kinsler had a down season this year hitting just .236/.313/.412 with 22 home runs, and 52 RBIs. However, he wasn’t the only culprit in the Tigers’ lack of offensive production. It has long been debated whether the team would keep him around for one more season to mentor the younger guys, but Avila seems to be making it clear that if a deal is there, the trigger will be pulled.

There is a possibility the Tigers trade second baseman Ian Kinsler at the Winter Meetings, general manager Al Avila said.

— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) December 11, 2017

If a deal can get done by the December 14th, Rule 5 Draft, it would open a spot up for the Tigers to draft a prospect from the pool of players available. It would also mean that a spot was open for the Tigers younger prospects like Dixon Machado or Dawel Lugo.

Though a fan favorite during his tenure in the Old English D, it does seem as though our last #3 will be in the Tigers’ lineup this coming season. The foreshadowing of the announcement made to retire Alan Trammell’s number last night, should not be overlooked. So brace yourselves, Tigers fans, our days of seeing the scrappy second baseman we’ve come to know and love, may quickly be coming to an end.