When someone mentions Jason Kipnis and the Chicago Cubs in the same sentence, they’d better be talking about the former getting the chance to play in the World Series at Wrigley Field three years ago and not the possibility of the Northbrook native joining the Cubs via free agency this winter.
On Friday, the Cleveland Indians declined their $16.5 million option on Kipnis, opting instead for a $4.5 million buyout. That move hardly comes as a surprise after the veteran second baseman struggled for the third consecutive year as Cleveland missed the postseason for the first time since 2015.