Cleveland Indians: Possible Jason Kipnis trade destinations

Los Angeles Angels

The Los Angeles Angels are, again, in the market for second base help. With so many options out there, why would Kipnis be the right fit?

Well, maybe he’s not the best choice at this point in his career. Kipnis clearly took a step back in 2017, but we can blame much of that on injuries. If he could return back to his previous form, the Angels would have an amazing combination up the middle with Kipnis at second base and Andrelton Simmons at shortstop.

The benefit of having Kipnis around goes beyond manning second base. The Angels’ other needs, at third base and left field, may also resolve with Kipnis on the roster. He’s certainly capable of playing both positions. Indians’ manager Terry Francona even went as far as to trust him in center field during 2017 when they needed him. The result was quite promising although Kipnis probably won’t win any Gold Gloves beyond the infield dirt.

Any trade the Indians make with the Angels involving Kipnis would likely serve as a salary-dump focused transaction. The Indians are only ready to move on from Kipnis due to financial concerns. His leadership is still very valuable to them yet not as important as having extra money to spend elsewhere. Falling to the New York Yankees in the ALDS should certainly motivate them to build a better roster for 2018. While they have an ace in Corey Kluber getting vastly underpaid, it’s important for the Indians to go after a championship as hard as possible.