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(The following is being syndicated from An A-Blog for A-Rod)
The Yankees are still in the market for a designated hitter for this season, and it’s one of the few positions where they can actually afford to look for a lefty since they have A-Rod and Kevin Youkilis to handle the right-handed DH duties. Mark Hale reported earlier this last week that the Yankees have “no interest” in 42-year-old Jim Thome, which doesn’t come as a huge surprise, but there is another name out there that I think could be a better fit than people realize. That name is Travis Hafner, former Cleveland Indian who had his team option declined and hasn’t generated a whole lot of buzz this offseason because of his annual injury problems. This is going to sound crazy, but I think those injury problems are EXACTLY why the Yankees should be interested in Hafner.
For starters, the fact that he’s always so banged up and will turn 36 this June will knock his price way down from the $13 million he made last year, and the constant injury problems should be enough to influence teams to only offer him a 1-year “show me” type of contract to prove he can stay on the field. Low dollars and 1-year deals are what the Yankees are looking to hand out to fill their DH and bench roles right now, and the lefty-swinging Hafner could do some damage attacking the short porch in right.
The other reason Hafner’s injury problems work to the Yankees’ advantage is that they don’t actually need him to be a full-time DH anyway. That spot is going to be used primarily for Rodriguez and Youkilis once A-Rod returns in the summer, with guys like Teix and Jeter getting half days there as well. With A-Rod out for the first couple months, Hafner could act as the bridge to his return in the DH spot, providing power and patience in the 6 or 7-spot in the lineup, and if he stays healthy enough to hit regularly or semi-regularly until A-Rod comes back, perfect. Anything beyond that is gravy, and if he somehow manages to not pull, strain, or tear something after that, Joe just has another smart, professional hitter to mix and match with A-Rod and Youkilis to try to keep them all healthy.
And let’s not forget that even with all his health risks, it’s not like Hafner has lost his ability to hit. He hit 12 HR, posted a 12.2% BB rate, .210 ISO, and .342 wOBA in the 66 games he played in 2012, and has had wOBA values about .350 in each of the 3 seasons prior. His batting average took a major dip last season, but that was more than likely attributable to a .233 BABIP, way off his career average. Even with the low BABIP, Hafner still hit for a better average than Russell Martin did, and with Ichiro and Brett Gardner back in the lineup to provide some contact and speed, the Yankees can afford to have a low batting average from Hafner as long as he provides some pop and draws walks.
Hafner has averaged just under 86 games played over the last 5 years. The Yankees 86th game this year falls on the 4th of July against the Minnesota Twins, not that far from A-Rod’s planned return date from surgery. Given the injury problems that have plagued him over those last 5 years, Hafner has almost become a low-risk/high-reward type of signing this offseason, and the longer he goes without drawing interest or offers from other teams, the cheaper he’ll become for the Yankees. If he does manage to stay healthy and productive, that’s just icing on the cake, and if he doesn’t, the Yankees have plenty of players who can fill in at DH. So I ask again. Why not Travis Hafner for DH in 2013?
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5 Responses to Why Not Travis Hafner For DH?
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TIQ IQ
Yankees have shied away from players who aren’t able to offer any defensive capabilites. It’s why they let Posada, Matsui and Damon go away even though their bat’s were still capable of being league average, and their price tags had dropped to 1 year cheap deals.
They haven’t pursued guys like Manny, Vlad, Thome etc in the past 3-4 years and Hafner is another player that fills that mold.
Last year they chose Ibanez because they believed he could play the OF on a semi regular basis, and they were proven right. He ended up logging significant OF innings, and while his defense was poor, it wasn’t as bad as anticipated.
The Yankees will only show interest in you if you offer a little defensive flexibility. Lumbering DH/1B types need not apply.
The Yanks should be doing everything they can to acquire Justin Upton, a young right handed speed/power threat just entering his prime at age 25. Hopefully this is happening and we just don’t know it. Hafner will be 36, hits lefty, has 7 DL trips in five years, a bulging lumbar disc, 9 career SBs, and hasn’t played the field since 2007. In short, he is the opposite of Upton and would be yet another hole to fill when he gets hurt again or his one year deal expires.
I’ve been wondering where the DH posts have been because they’re all about another RHB (which we’re set on with canzler, Diaz, Nunez, mustelier). But I think Hafner indefinitely is the best DH option out there still because if you ever watch his HR he hits he literally mashes them. Also the injury part wouldn’t be a big deal because he wouldn’t play against LHP and he would basically give us ibanez numbers if he gets a good amount of time playing because it said in 66 games he had 12 HR and so in 162 (which he won’t play I’m just mentioning this) he would hit around 25-30. So in saying that in 100 games he would probably play he would have about 18-20+HR. Also K Long has done a good job at changing stances which his could be tweaked at where his arms are and how he has his legs so therefor he would hit above the .240 ibanez. Other options that I think would be good are Aubrey Huff, Luke Murton(hit 22 HR in double a for us), Jack Cust(hit 25 HR in triple A for us and got cut a month before the season ended so he could’ve had more), Russell Branyan(we signed him to a Minor L contract but he was injured all season and I’m not sure if we still have him or if he became a FA and he also has hit the longest and 3rd longest HR ever in new Yankee stadium), Carlos Lee(a now all average hitter he hit .340 against lefties and .280 against righties but only had 10 between his two teams last year so his power is almost gone), Brandon Allen(trade but wouldn’t take much he has the 2nd longest HR in new Yankee stadium and can hit 20+HR per year), Mike Napoli(less likely because he’s pretty expensive), Granderson(could DH if someone like Tyler Austin or Heathcott breaks camp), One of the 5 million mariners DH’s since they have montero, ibanez, Smoak, morales. Now I’m going with this: I say we’ll trade grandy to the mariners for Justin Smoak(to be our DH he has great plate discipline A’s it seems like he fights until they walk him but he has a lot of power and was the rangers top prospect until they traded him and others for lee) I say only one of the next two we would also get is Taijuan Walker or Nick Franklin or maybe both if we throw in Warrenor someone but these two Walker being a possible Future ‘ACE’ he would be a great addition A’s he’ll be ready by 2014 for sure if he doesn’t make the bigs this year. Then there’s Nick Franklin who could be our future SS as we don’t really have one that can do what he does (hit/field/run). So basically we would get a DH and a future ace or SS. Sorry I got really off topic and I’m sure half of you won’t read this because it’s so long but at the beginning I wasn’t saying Hafner was better then ibanez in any way I was saying he would be a solid replacement since he can hit good if he stays healthy. The thing I they probably won’t get him cause he can’t play the field they got ibanez because they knew he could at least somewhat play the OF which he did a great job at but Hafner can’t play anywhere.
I would stay away from Upton as his price in prospects would be too high. I cant see justification in the cost for 16 home runs and 67 rbi. Makes more sense to save our future and go with low cost vets and even some rookies in these complementary roles. We save our precious money and see what some of our kids can do.
“Why not Travis Hafner?” is right.
He hit only .228 but posted a nice .346 OBP in 2012. He’d have projected to 18 HR and 51 RBI across 392 PA, 20 HR and 68 RBI across 438 PA.
He has a .278/.381/.507/.888 career slashline and posted .280/.361/.449/.810 with 13 HR and 57 RBI in 368 PA in 2011. I would be thrilled if he posted that with 3 or 4 more HR and as many RBI tacked on in 2013.
Give the guy what Ibanez got for 2012.