All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis agreed to a six-year, $52.5 million contract extension with the Cleveland Indians on Friday. The deal has a club option for 2020.
Kipnis had already signed a one-year deal that was worth $554,900. The one-year deal would be worth $305,700 in the minors. He is the latest player to be signed to a long-term contract by the Indians. They signed outfielder Michael Brantley for four years and $25 million, and catcher Yan Gomes for six years and $23 million in the last two months, according to the Associated Press.
''It's an amazing feeling to get something done,'' Kipnis said. ''I wanted to stay here. I'm excited about being here. It's the ownership, the top, showing us that they believe in us, that we've got the guys who can win games now and we want them stick around. I'm excited about be a part of that.''
The Indians selected Kipnis as the 63 overall pick in the 2009 draft. He played in the outfield in high school and made the transition to the infield in 2010. In 2011 he started playing second base. Last year, which was just his second full season in the majors, Kipnis hit .284 and led the Indians in runs (86), hits (160), RBIs (84), and steals (30), according to Fox Sports. He become the sixth Indian to break the 15 homeruns/30 steals mark. Kipnis is the first Indians second baseman to lead the team in RBIs since 1984.
Last year the Indians went 92-70. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Now they have 16 players under team control until at least 2016.