Ian Kinsler Trade Rumors: Brewers Reportedly Interested in Tigers Star

ESPN's Buster Olney reported Saturday that the Milwaukee Brewers are exploring the possibility of acquiring Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler.

Milwaukee entered play Saturday leading the National League Central by one game, while Detroit is a disappointing 44-51 and already dealt outfielder J.D. Martinez to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The 35-year-old Kinsler is in the midst of a down season, as he is hitting just .244/.324/.397 with nine home runs and 26 RBI. It's a far cry from the .288/.348/.484 line with 28 homers and 83 RBI he produced in 2016.

Kinsler is a four-time All-Star with four seasons of 20 or more home runs to his credit, but the Tigers have fallen out of the playoff race and may want to deal him now rather than potentially lose him for nothing.

According to Spotrac, Kinsler has a $10 million club option in his contract for 2018, meaning he could become a free agent in the offseason.

Second base has been a black hole in terms of offensive production for the Brewers this season, as Jonathan Villar has disappointed.

He is hitting just .223/.287/.350 with eight homers and 30 RBI on the heels of a breakout 2016 season.

Milwaukee is in the midst of a slump and is barely holding off the hard-charging Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, so an established veteran with playoff experience like Kinsler could help stabilize the team.