Prior to the July 31 trade deadline, we covered a rumor that connected the Milwaukee Brewers with Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler.
Although the deadline has since passed, the Brewers remain interested in acquiring Kinsler, according to Ken Rosenthal. What's more is that the mechanisms for a potential deal are underway, as Kinsler has been placed on revocable waivers:
Sources: #Tigers’ Kinsler on revocable trade waivers. Owed just over $3M for rest of season, plus $10M club option or $5M buyout for 2018.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 9, 2017
#Brewers remain interested in Kinsler, but on his 10-team no-trade list, sources say. Villar .605 OPS; Sogard 2-for-33 since coming off DL.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 9, 2017
On paper, adding Kinsler will be trickier now than it was in July, because he either has to pass through waivers or be claimed by Milwaukee. (Rosenthal notes that Kinsler's waivers expire Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.) From there, the Brewers would have to appease Detroit's asking price with players eligible to be dealt -- either non-40-man roster players, or those who have already passed through waivers themselves. Add in how Kinsler would have to then sign off on such a deal, and it seems like a long shot.
Still, you can understand why the Brewers have interest. Jonathan Villar has disappointed all season, and Eric Sogard is looking more and more like Eric Sogard. Kinsler isn't having his typical year, yet he'd represent an upgrade at the keystone all the same. For a Brewers squad that's still trying to overtake the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, that upgrade would be well received.
