Indians Reportedly Sign Hafner
Travis Hafner has struggled in the first half of the season, and if it has had anything to do with his contract situation being up in the air, we should expect to see Hafner return to form. Hafner and the Indians went into the All-Star break thinking about continuing contract discussions that began in spring training and it appears that they have hit common ground for a contract worth $57 million for five years.
So, assuming this deal is true, how did the parties come out in the negotiations?
A look around the league puts it in perspective.
Magglio Ordonez will make $13.2 million this year. Vlad Guerrero is at $14.5 million. David Ortiz makes $13.25 million. Albert Pujols is at $13 million.
Of course, all of this assumes that Hafner can increase his production to the levels that he and the Indians had become accustomed to seeing last season. Assuming he can do that, it appears that Hafner made himself available to the Indians at a relative bargain. I say that because Hafner has put himself slightly below the rest of the slugger market as it sits today, and that market will continue to rise over the next five years of his contract. So, five years from now Hafner could be one heck of a bargain compared to his peers.
At the same time, don’t feel too badly for Hafner. He gets the kind of money which will leave him more than set for many lifetimes, while he gets to learn from Jim Thome that chasing dollars isn’t always the best way to play this game. Hopefully Hafner can create the winning atmosphere here and it is nice that he is willing to stay to try, rather than flee to another city where they might seem poised for success at the time.
I can tell you this much, Hafner won’t need any more money after his five year contract is up, and he has a really good chance of creating the kind of legacy in Cleveland that very few cities are willing to extend to athletes. Ask Jim Brown, Bob Feller, Charlie Nagy, or Bernie Kosar what it means to have a positive legacy in the eyes of Cleveland sports fans. We never forget those types of players who contribute to our memories. Hopefully Travis Hafner can join that list of players.
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