Cleveland Indians: 7 Second Basemen Between Jason Kipnis And Roberto Alomar

Jun 19, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Luis Valbuena (18) fields a ball for the last out of the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

In 2009, the Indians received Luis Valbuena in a trade with the Mariners. Yes, the same Luis Valbuena who’s currently batting .199 with 19 homers for the Houston Astros.

Valbuena was serviceable defensively, but it wasn’t a mystery that he couldn’t hit for a decent average. The power display this season is a surprise to all.

The last second baseman before Kipnis was Orlanda Cabrera. A previous Gold Glove winner at shortstop, Cabrera was given $1 million to shore up the Tribe’s defense in 2011.

But at 36 years old, Cabrera couldn’t stay healthy, and played in just 91 games.

He collected career hit No. 2,000 while wearing an Indians uniform, but it was obvious his big-league days were limited as he hit just .172 in July of 2011.

The Indians were desperate for production and decided it was time to promote Kipnis.

Next: Finally: The JK Kid