Grant chat: Kinsler must excel or face trade

Evan Grant did a chat session at the DMN website today, and you can read the transcript here...

He says he likes the LSB community even y'all hate him, talks about the possibilities of a Justin Upton trade (indicating that the inclusion of minor league shortstop Luis Sardinas was a major sticking point for Texas), uses "transitional season" more than once, discusses Kyle Lohse and Michael Bourn as free agent targets, and addresses the outfield and bullpen, among much, much else...

What particularly jumped out at me, however, was his suggestion that Ian Kinsler has been put on notice:

I think Kinsler will be on a shorter leash this year and if he doesn't excel, I'd expect it to be his last season in Texas. The Rangers will make it clear that there is not going to be playing time for him and essentially push him towards accepting a trade.

It would be curious if, just 18 months after inking Kinsler to an extension, the Rangers looked to move Kinsler, even if he was coming off a year in which he didn't "excel." The Rangers clearly seemed to view Kinsler as part of the "core," and the uncertainly surrounding Elvis Andrus's future -- Grant indicates he thinks Elvis will be a Yankee come 2015 -- would make dealing Kinsler that much dicier.

That said, Kinsler doesn't have a no trade clause, so the Rangers could move him after next season, before his 10/5 rights kick in, without his permission, so if they want to move him, they don't have to pressure him to accept a trade -- they can just trade him.