Indians Expected to Pick Up Corey Kluber's 2020 Option But Decline Jason Kipnis' Extra Year
By Kevin Aquino
Corey Kluber is staying put (for now) and heading to the bank, with the Indians reportedly intending to pick up his $17.5 million team option for the 2020 MLB season.
Cleveland is going to dedicate a good chunk of their salary to the two-time AL Cy Young award winner, and will decline Jason Kipnis' and Dan Otero's team options for next season, expectedly taking them off the books ahead of a tumultuous offseason.
The Indians intend to pick up Corey Kluber’s 2020 club option, according to Chris Antonetti.
— Ryan Lewis (@ByRyanLewis) October 2, 2019
Indians also intend to decline the options on Jason Kipnis and Dan Otero
Kipnis and Otero are worth $18 million combined, with the former making up $16.5 million of that cash. Cleveland is supposedly open to bringing their longtime second baseman back, but it'll depend on his market value.
Indians are still open to a return for Jason Kipnis, but it’ll depend on his market.
— Ryan Lewis (@ByRyanLewis) October 2, 2019
Terry Francona also said that bullpen coach Scott Atchison won’t return to the coaching staff. Other than that, no expected staff changes at this time.
Kluber's injuries dominated his 2019 narrative, and just because this option is being picked up does not rule out his departure, of course. The Tribe is not shy about trading from a position of strength and making moves that are shocking to outsiders (remember the Trevor Bauer deal?). The only thing that changes here is that teams looking to acquire Kluber's services now know his exact cost.
The Indians will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2015, which was one year before their World Series loss to the Cubs. If they choose to keep Kluber and potentially Kipnis around, that will provide some continuity, with the hope that health is on their side next season.