The Los Angeles Angels acquired former Clinton LumberKings shortstop Ian Kinsler on Wednesday. In return, the Detroit Tigers received two prospects — outfielder Troy Montgomery (a former Burlington Bees player) and RHP Wilkel Hernandez (a possible future West Michigan Whitecaps hurler).

Kinsler, a 12-year MLB veteran, batted .236 with 22 homers, 25 doubles, and 52 RBI in 139 games with the Tigers this year. As a Texas Rangers minor-leaguer, he spent half the 2004 season in the Midwest League, where he posted a robust .402 batting average (90-for-224) to go along with 11 homers, 30 doubles, 52 runs batted in, and 16 stolen bases in 60 games.

Montgomery played parts of the last two seasons in the Midwest League. In 2016 he batted .261 with 3 HR and 13 RBI in 38 games with the Bees. He returned to Burlington for 15 more games at the start of the 2017 season, batting .256 with 2 HR and 4 RBI before getting promoted to High-A. He also played in Double-A this year. Overall he batted .271 with 8 HR, 38 RBI and 15 SB in 100 games during the past season.

Hernandez, an 18-year-old Venezuela native who signed with the Angels last year, played rookie ball in 2016 and 2017. He probably will start next year in short-season or Low-A; if he is assigned to the Midwest League, he would pitch for the Whitecaps. In 44.1 innings (12 games/seven starts) this year, he went 4-1 with a 2.64 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 22 walks.

Pineda signs 2-year deal

The Minnesota Twins signed RHP Michael Pineda to a 2-year, $10 million deal Wednesday. He went 8-4 with a 4.39 ERA, 92 strikeouts and 21 walks in 96.1 innings (17 starts) for the New York Yankees this year.

Pineda pitched for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 2008, when the team was affiliated with the Seattle Mariners. He went 8-6 with a 1.95 ERA, one shutout, 128 strikeouts and 35 walks in 138.1 innings (26 games/21 starts).