'Twas the night before the trade deadline and all through Fenway, not an executive was stirring, except Dave Dombrowski. Sorry, that doesn't rhyme. Dealin' Dave continued his trading ways Monday, acquiring second baseman Ian Kinsler from the Angels in exchange for a few minor leaguers. Here's how the trade worked out for both sides. MORE: Follow the MLB trade deadline with SN's comprehensive tracker Red Sox: B This move makes sense and doesn't at the same time. The Red Sox couldn't afford to keep going without help at second base with Dustin Pedroia (knee) looking more and more likely to miss the remainder of the season. Kinsler is having a down year at the plate; he played to a .710 OPS (95 OPS+) in 91 games with the Angels. He has been better since the start of June, though, hitting .259 with 10 home runs in 48 games. That's more of the Kinsler that fans have come to expect. Even though the bat is lagging, Kinsler is still a great defensive second baseman, posting 10 defensive runs saved in 2018, per Baseball Reference. The 36-year-old can also be a free agent after the season, but the Red Sox won't have to worry about second base for the future — Pedroia is still under contract through 2021 and there will be plenty of free-agent options in the offseason. Here's where the deal doesn't make sense: Kinsler has been very bad against left-handed pitching in 2018. He's hitting just .200 with a .515 OPS in 43 games (106 plate appearances), and while the Red Sox have been better vs. left-handers of late, it's still the weakest point of their offense. Brian Dozier seemed like the better trade target for the Red Sox, considering he has an OPS of .722 vs. left-handed pitching this year, but defense plays and Kinsler is a far better defender than Dozier (minus-6 defensive runs saved in '18). The question, then, is: Is the defense worth the trade-off? Obviously, the Red Sox think so and are hopeful that Kinsler can continue his resurgence at the plate. Of the available second baseman, Kinsler makes a lot of sense based on his reputation and career numbers, and the Red Sox are certainly hoping he can provide more power and Kinsler-esque numbers in the bandboxes of the AL East. MORE: The trade deadline through the eyes, minds of players Angels: B+ With the way the Angels' farm system has suffered through the years, any time they can pluck a pitching prospect from another team is a victory. Trading Kinsler was a no-brainer for the Angels. As mentioned, this offseason will offer second base free-agent options — Daniel Murphy, Asdrubal Cabrera, Neil Walker, to name some — and LA also has a top-five prospect, Jahmi Jones, potentially ready to reach the majors within the next year. Ty Buttrey, a minor league reliever the Red Sox sent to Anaheim, is already on LA's list of top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline (he's No. 27). He boasts a high-90s fastball but no true secondary out pitch. He also has had control issues (3.9 BB/9 lifetime). Scouts believe the 25-year-old will end up as a middle reliever in the majors. LA also acquired Williams Jerez, 26, who has yet to make it to the majors. He pitched to a 3.63 ERA for Triple-A Pawtucket this season and doesn't rank on the Angels' top-30 list. The Angels know where they are in 2018 — another mediocre year that was once promising with the dominance of Shohei Ohtani and some guy named Trout. They don't have much else to move, so this will probably be the biggest deal they make at the deadline. Overall: B Dombrowski did what was necessary to reinforce the infield, which is refreshing for a team that's playing near-.700 baseball. It's exactly what you want a GM or team president to do: identify a weakness and fix it heading into the dog days of the season. While there may have been better options available, the Red Sox didn't give up too much to secure Kinsler. The Angels parted with a free-agent-to-be and picked up some prospects, including one who slid into their top 30. While they still don't have a great farm system — it's middle of the pack by most rankings — GM Billy Eppler knows what he has to do to replenish it, and this is a good start.<doc-sep>The Boston Red Sox, who are cruising at 42 games above .500, continue to be buyers at the non-waiver trade deadline. Less than a week after acquiring starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox received Gold Glove second baseman Ian Kinsler from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for minor league right-hander Ty Buttrey and left-hander Williams Jerez, the teams announced Monday. Kinsler is a four-time All-Star who won a Gold Glove just two seasons ago. At 36 years old, he is hitting .239 with 13 home runs and nine stolen bases. However, since May 29, he is batting .286 with an .866 OPS in 51 games. More:Justin Verlander, outspoken on domestic violence, not enthused after Astros acquire Roberto Osuna More:Amid roster chaos, pitching experiment, 'oddball' Rays still standing While he's on the decline offensively, he's a solid defender and offers protection at the position with Dustin Pedroia's status up in the air. Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez have been filling in at the position nearly all season with Pedroia sidelined with a knee injury. It also helps with the workload at third base after Rafael Devers was placed on the 10-day disabled list. The Angels will also send the $1.8 million remaining on Kinsler’s deal. He is in the final year of his 11-year, $102.5 million contract he signed with the Texas Rangers before the 2008 season.<doc-sep>The Boston Red Sox search for infield insurance has led them to a four-time All-Star and postseason veteran. Late Monday night, the Red Sox acquired Ian Kinsler from the Los Angeles Angels in a trade that will help fill the void left by injured second baseman Dustin Pedroia. [Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues are open: Sign up now for free] The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal was the first to report a deal was done. Fancred’s Jon Heyman reported that minor-leaguers Williams Jerez and Ty Buttrey will be heading back to Los Angeles. New teammate! 👍 Welcome to Boston, Ian Kinsler! pic.twitter.com/f6goxvlMvU — Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) July 31, 2018 What does Ian Kinsler bring to the Red Sox? The Red Sox had to value Kinsler’s experience. The 36-year-old is in his 13th MLB season. He’s played for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels, amassing 1,911 hits and 287 home runs. He’s a four-time All-Star and a 2016 Gold Glove winner. He’s also appeared in four postseasons, including back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011 with the Rangers. He’s been a strong performer in the postseason too, hitting .291/.400/.444 over 37 games. Though he’s struggled overall this season, hitting just .239/.304/.406 over 91 games, he has surged in July hitting .417/.491/.646 over his 13 games. Despite the dip in average over the last two seasons, Kinsler still has respectable power with a combined 35 home runs during that period. By comparison, Pedroia had just 30 dating back to 2015. When you factor in Kinsler’s excellent defense, he feels like an ideal stopgap option for a contender with an infield opening, particularly at second base. That describes the Red Sox current situation perfectly. What is Dustin Pedroia’s status? Pedroia returned from offseason knee surgery in late May but only lasted three games before going back on the disabled list with renewed soreness in the same week. The 34-year-old former MVP reportedly began rehabbing with his personal trainer three weeks ago, but didn’t sound optimistic about a return this season. Pedroia was quoted saying, “You can’t risk it. If I come back too early and the graft fails, then that’s it.” Story continues The Red Sox had remained hopeful Pedroia could return, but the trade confirms they’re also being realistic. Boston also lost third baseman Rafael Devers to the disabled list this weekend with a hamstring strain. That injury further depleted their infield depth. Once Kinsler arrives, he should be Boston’s every day second baseman, allowing Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez to fill in at third base. Red Sox acquire Ian Kinsler in trade with Angels to help fill the void left by injured second baseman Dustin Pedroia. (AP) More from Yahoo Sports: • Dak Prescott gets called out by Raiders LB for criticism of anthem protests • Ex-WWE wrestler Brian Christopher dies at 46 • LeBron James’ new school looks amazing • Brian Dawkins reveals career-long battle with depression<doc-sep>The Atlanta Braves, in a battle with Philadelphia for the NL East lead, sent three players to the Cincinnati Reds for slugging outfielder Adam Duvall. Duvall, 29, is having an off year but hit 30-plus homers in both 2016, when he was an all-star, and 2017, and he crushes left-handed pitching. At the very least, he can be a platoon outfielder or a pinch-hit option off the bench. He also has three more years of club control.<doc-sep>
The Red Sox have acquired veteran second baseman Ian Kinsler and cash from the Angels. The Angels in return receive minor-league right-hander Ty Buttrey and minor-league left-hander Williams Jerez. Per Ken Rosenthal, the Angels will send the Red Sox half of Kinsler's remaining $3.6 million in salary obligation. Some perspective on Kinsler's age-35 season ... Kinsler, who is in his walk year, struggled for much of the first two months of the season, but since then he's been producing in vintage fashion (.320/.393/.467 line for July). He's also still a good baserunner, and he remains a pronounced defensive asset at second base. Second base is where he'll play for the time being in Boston, as Dustin Pedroia remains sidelined with knee problems. That, in turn, will allow Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez to platoon at third, at least until Rafael Devers returns from his strained hamstring. Assuming Kinsler produces at his customary level the rest of the way, this is a very sensible addition for the Red Sox. By the sounds of things, this will likely do it for the Red Sox this trading season ... On the Angels' side of things, Buttrey, 25, owns an ERA of 3.97 and a 1.99 K/BB ratio in 65 minor-league starts and 98 relief appearances. This season, he's worked out of the bullpen at Triple-A Pawtucket. Jerez, 26, has made 166 relief appearances across five minor-league seasons. Over that span, he's pitched to a 3.39 ERA with a 2.65 K/BB ratio. Like Buttrey, he's been in Pawtucket this season.