The Indians have broached the subject of a contract extension with star second baseman Jason Kipnis, sources said.
It isn't known how much progress has been made in extension talks to this point.
It was first reported in the Cleveland Plain Dealer by Terry Pluto that the Indians intended to try to lock him up this spring, and word is the team has now begun the process.
Kipnis, 26, isn't arbitration eligible until 2015 but still would seem to be line for a big deal considering his performance in 2013, only his second full season. Kipnis hit 17 home runs and had 84 RBI with a .284 batting average, finishing 11th in MVP voting, as the surprising Indians secured a wild-card spot in the playoffs.
Cleveland was among the first teams to endeavor to lock up its stars earlier, as it did with its excellent young nucleus in the early 1990s, and it has continued to try to do that, when possible. The team signed left fielder Michael Brantley to a four-year, $25 million extension earlier in the offseason.
