Recent reports have indicated that the Indians will make a push to extend All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis, and today, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Cleveland's front office has begun the process. Heyman isn't sure how much progress has been made, only that the two sides have begun talking.
The 26-year-old Kipnis slashed .284/.366/.452 in 2013 — his second full season at the Major League level. The Beverly Hills Sports Council client tallied 17 homers and 30 stolen bases as well, helping him earn his first All-Star nod and an 11th-place finish in the American League MVP voting.
As we've seen already in 2014, Spring Training is a time when many clubs hammer out extensions with their key players. However, Cleveland doesn't necessarily need to rush, as Kipnis is not arbitration eligible until next offseason and is under team control through 2017. However, another All-Star season would likely cause his price tag to skyrocket, and he said last April that he didn't want to talk about a new contract once the season started.
MLBTR's Charlie Wilmoth recently profiled Kipnis as an extension candidate. Kipnis wouldn't be the only extension for GM Chris Antonetti and his staff, who have already inked Michael Brantley to a four-year, $25MM pact this winter.
Let’s get it done.
This would be a really good move for the Tribe. Can anyone tell me if the starting rotation this year is going to be a weakness for them?
Maybe. It depends how well our internal candidates step up. If kluber continues to improve along with McAllister, if Salazar stands up to a full year’s workload, if Masterson stays consistent, and if carrasco or Bauer succeed we are better than last year. Lots of ifs, but that applies to all teams and we’ve got room to maneuver if it gets ugly by reaching to marcum, harang, or possibly a FA or trade.
If Masterson, Kluber, and McAllister pitch like they did last year and Salazar can handle a full season, we will have a solid staff. If Bauer can become the pitcher he was projected to be, that will be a huge bonus. If injuries start piling up, our depth is sparse.
What happened to Cafardo’s column this weekend?
It looks like MLBTR missed it this week… I had to google it. I tried posting the link to this reply but MLBTR rejected my comment because it contained an unapproved link. Just google “Boston Globe Sunday Baseball Notes” and it will be one of the first hits.
5 years and $35mm seems cheap to me. Then again he is only slated to make the pre arb figure this year which is usually about 550k. A deal like 5 and $35 must be paying him more this year than the pre arb figure would, 3 years of arbitration, then 1 year of free agency. It would take him to age 31 for his next deal which is not necessarily good for him. Guaranteed money is always a good thing I suppose though especially if he gets a hefty raise for this year.
It seemed on the low side to me too, but maybe it’s because that’s what similar 2B players have gotten before? In any sense, that would be a bargain and the Indians need to do it and build the offense around Kipnis. He is a dynamite player and will only get better. I heard he put on 15 lbs of muscle this offseason so I wouldn’t be surprised if he hits with a bit more power this year. This is one player the Indians cannot afford to not extend!
I completely agree, definitely a key player for the Indians and a bargain at $35mm over 5 years. I hope he continues to improve because he’s a fun player to watch.
I would think Cleveland would try for more than 5 years, though Kipnis might not want it. He’ll be 31 after a 5-year deal. Cleveland could try for 7 years through age 33, and just tack on two years and something over 15 MM per year for those additional years, so like 7/65ish.
If you wanna be funny you could say that Indians wants to Kip Kipnis.
You should apologize for that one.
Sorry…
This would be a Hart type signing… It would be a good move… now lock up Masterson..