Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports that second baseman Jason Kipnis is open to discussing a contract extension with the Indians. The two sides will likely begin talking during spring training. Kipnis, however, does not want contract talks to distract him during the regular season, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian writes.
Kipnis, who turns 27 years old on April 3, will become eligible for arbitration for the first time after the season. He can become a free agent after the 2017 season. An extension would likely buy out at least two of the years leading up to the second baseman’s free agency.
Since the beginning of the 2012 season, Kipnis has been the fifth-most valuable second baseman in the game (min. 1,000 plate appearances), according to FanGraphs WAR. He trails Robinson Cano, Ben Zobrist, Dustin Pedroia, and Matt Carpenter while narrowly outranking Aaron Hill.
