Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis will enter his first year of arbitration eligibility after the season. He’ll have the opportunity to go through the arbitration process for three years. After the 2017 season, he would become eligible for free agency.
According to Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer, however, it sounds like the Indians want to avoid all of that and get their star infielder signed to a contract extension soon. Pluto writes that the extension will require more than the $25 million the team awarded outfielder Michael Brantley two weeks ago, and that an extension for Kipnis is likely to be at least five years in length.
Kipnis, 26, was the fifth-most valuable second baseman in baseball last season with 4.5 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs. He is preparing to enter his third full season in the Majors.
