The Key To Kipnis

Jason Kipnis was on the cusp of stardom.

It felt like only yesterday when he broke through in 2012 to take sole ownership of second base, before becoming an All Star in 2013, cementing himself as a fan favorite.

He appealed to me instantly. He wasn't afraid to get his uniform dirty. He reminded me of Dustin Pedroia, only with hair. Second base has always been one of my favorite positions; if I played ball, it's the spot around the diamond I could imagine playing.

An injury ravaged season slowed his progress in 2014 but Kipnis rebounded with style the following year, earning his second All Star appearance. In 2016 Kipnis was a key contributor on an Indians team that pushed the Cubs all the way in the World Series, and his power increased substantially that season, hitting a career-high 23 home runs.

After nearly five years of consistently superb production, barring the hiccup in 2014, Kipnis was almost a household name, almost a superstar.

That's when 2017 happened.

2017 was not so kind to Kipnis. He had an utterly miserable year with injuries (possibly a hangover from the physically and emotionally exhausting postseason of 2016). He began the year on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, and made two more trips to the DL because of hamstring issues. His body betrayed him constantly.

Over 90 games and 373 plate appearances, Kipnis batted just .232 with 12 HR and 35 RBI in the regular season.

As the Indians were preparing for the postseason, Kipnis took up the mantle of replacing the injured Bradley Zimmer, filling the glaring hole in center field that the rookie had left behind. Kipnis had not played the outfield regularly since college, and hadn't seen any time there since 2009, when he made 7 appearances in center field during his first year in the minor leagues.

Undaunted, Kipnis performed admirably in the final weeks of the season, especially when you consider he was fresh off the disabled list and being played out of position. In a disappointing October for every Tribe player, it was Kipnis who came up with the defensive play of the postseason.

Now, for the first time in over half a decade, Kipnis is entering Spring Training in a position of uncertainty. He's gone from being a core piece on this squad to something of an afterthought.

Where will he play? Will he even be here?

There was talk this winter of the Mets potentially putting together a package deal for Kipnis that never materialized. I am thankful that didn't happen.

Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez are the centerpiece of the Indians lineup now, and many fans want to see Ramirez become the full-time second baseman. The 2017 AL Silver Slugger winner for third base certainly has the ability to play second. In fact, many would say Ramirez is more comfortable partnering Lindor than he is at the hot corner. Would Kipnis accept a permanent position move?

What Kipnis needs most is stability. To see Kipnis return to the guy we knew only a year or so ago, to see that incredibly dynamic player that was an essential piece of the puzzle, he needs to be healthy and settled. Kipnis is the kind of player who would run through walls for his team. He would do anything Terry Francona asked of him.

I'd argue that he shouldn't have to, and Francona seems to agree. "More than likely, he'll play second. The winter isn't over yet. The way we're aligned, that's what we're prepared to do." Francona confirmed as much to Kipnis on Sunday; "I said go out and be a second baseman."

Kipnis turns 31 years-old shortly after Opening Day but he remains an extremely important player for the Tribe. "We know what we have in here," said Kipnis. "We proved it two years ago, knowing that we’re very capable of getting as far as we want... Now, it’s just to prove it to ourselves and to our fans that we owe it to finish what we started."

Out of all the players on this 2018 Indians squad, perhaps Kipnis has the most to prove of them all.