Ian Kinsler is on his way back to Southern California.
The free agent second baseman and the San Diego Padres agreed to a two-year contract worth $8 million, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported Friday, citing sources.
Kinsler is coming off a solid season in which he hit .240 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs while splitting time with the Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox. Kinsler also won his second career Gold Glove for his stellar defense at second base.
The Red Sox acquired Kinsler from the Angels on July 30 for a pair of minor leaguers. He battled a hamstring injury, appearing in just 37 regular-season games for Boston down the stretch. Kinsler did go 4-for-13 with a pair of RBIs in the American League Division Series. He played solid defense on the Red Sox’s World Series run but did commit a costly error in Boston’s Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 36-year-old is only two years removed from a 22-home run campaign with the Detroit Tigers and figures to provide some veteran stability to a young Padres team with hopes of continuing its upward trend.
