Hafner available?

by 8legs2fangs on May 11, 2008 3:37 PM CDT

So, saw some talk today up on mlbtraderumors.com about the possibility that Travis Hafner could be available for trade, that his contract is not favorable to them anymore, that his mechanics are all jacked up...

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080511/SPORTS01/805110340/1108/SPORTS01

Would you trade for him? I would...but only at the right price. I think Cleveland might do it for a nice prospect and eating his contract...I don't mind eating the contract to see if he can work with Rudy to get his timing back.

So...would you trade? What would you trade (prospect or on ML club)?

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trade Gerald Laird?

by JBImaknee on May 11, 2008 3:48 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

I doubt it

by Adam J. Morris on May 11, 2008 3:51 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

not big on Haf

at this point in his career, but the right buy low deal could arise. I will use this thread to bring up another suggestion. Austin Kearns is not hitting well this year, to the tune of .208 or something like that, but he has historically put up a .262, 357, .443 line. Granted, he could be the second coming of Wilk, but I have always liked Kearns. He is a plus defender with great plate discipline who could probably use a change of scenery. The Nationals are ready to go all in on their youth movement, and although Kearns is only 27 (turns 28 in a week or so) he figures to go. Might be another solid buy cheap target. Also, he is from Austin, so he might be more willing to be here long term.

by clark on May 11, 2008 3:51 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

Do the Rangers need another OF

We have a sort of project player already with Byrd and have Cruz ripping AAA a new one. That is in addition to great performances by Murphy in AA, Mayberry in AAA and Boggs, Murphy, Bradley, and Hamilton in the Majors. There really is no need for the Rangers to currently take on a guy like Kearns.

by Gdawg1 on May 11, 2008 8:01 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

I agree to some degree

but I am still not sold on Cruz, Mayberry or Steve Murphy. It is yet to be determined in Big League Murphy or Boggs can be full time players, and I don’t see Bradley sticking around beyond this year.

Byrd hasn’t show much since before the all star break last year. That is the thing with him, Boggs, and David Murphy. They have all looked solid for stretches of time, but there is no real precedent that any of these guys are legit full time players…yet.

by clark on May 12, 2008 7:56 AM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

but how do you give

a player like Kearns the playing time to test him out when you have guys who are just as likely to succeed or fail this year as he is. What if Kearns is bad all season? You lose Cruz, you have to put Mayberry on the 40 man anyways, Byrd is likely gone, and Murphy gets stuck in AA for longer than he needs to be because there is no playing time for him in Oklahoma. Seems a lot to risk for a guy who isn’t doing anything well enough to crack our current starting OF lineup.

by Gdawg1 on May 12, 2008 11:08 AM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

You're probably right

I am over that idea.

by clark on May 12, 2008 12:34 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

pass

"I thought that was bull," Washington said. "What is he 6-13? That's just frustration. He overreacted." - Wash on Sexson

by Longhorn on May 11, 2008 5:14 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

einar diaz?

"You’re the only here who contributes schtick only." - brettgardner

by trza on May 11, 2008 5:26 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

by alon91 on May 11, 2008 5:59 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Even if Hafner is available

We don’t need his contract, or his recent suckage.

A Lonestar in California - 2.0

David Murphy rocks, so Ellsbury can just go get himself a taco or something.

by lonestarJon on May 11, 2008 5:40 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

id still take him.

Gerald Laird is my hero.

by DSheppard on May 11, 2008 6:43 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

certainly

why the hell not? what’ll it take to get him? can we get away with offering Boggs and Jack Benny…? what is the size of his contract (years and cost)? how old is he? I’m too lazy to research today, but not too lazy to comment…

"No, Donny, these men are nihilists, there's nothing to be afraid of."

by Walter Sobchak on May 11, 2008 7:21 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

4 yrs and 57 mil...

for a struggling hitter with no defensive value, which is why you pass.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on May 11, 2008 7:34 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Besides...

the last thing this team needs right now is another LH hitter

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on May 11, 2008 7:35 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

No

Boggs and Benoit for Hafner? A DH who isn’t hitting, and is owed almost $60 million?

by Adam J. Morris on May 11, 2008 8:17 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

so you're saying

we wouldn’t want to do that…? or Cleveland wouldn’t take that deal?

I think it’s kind of ridiculous to assume that a guy who hasn’t failed to drive in over 100 in a full season and had a career downer of a year last year with 24 HR, .266 AVE, .385 OBP that is just about to turn 31 isn’t going to rebound. by the way, his road splits last year were .288 AVE and .401 OBP – put him in Arlington for the other half of the year and I’d say he’d put up some pretty good complete numbers. nevermind this year, it’s a bad start – he got off to a good start in 2007, and finished strong…call it a slump. we’re talking about a .300 hitter with .400 OBP and high power potential…maybe he needs a change of scenery, a different (the best in the game?) hitting coach, or the protection of Kinsler-Young-Hamilton-himself-Bradley…

$15 mil a year is STEEEEP – I’d certainly ask them to pay a portion of that if they were interested in a deal, and depending on whether we deem Milton as a long-term fit on this team, wouldn’t you like to trot out an outfield/DH combo of Murphy, Hamilton, Bradley, Hafner and a free agent COF for the next 3 years? I certainly would, if we thought we’d be competing for a division championship as early as next year…

"No, Donny, these men are nihilists, there's nothing to be afraid of."

by Walter Sobchak on May 12, 2008 2:32 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

He's the type of player...

...who tends to have a steep decline phase…

Big, slow, no defensive ability, injury-prone, lots of walks and Ks…those types of guys tend to age quickly.

You’d be committing yourself for the next 4 1/2 years to having him as your DH - because you can’t play him anywhere else - and paying him big, big bucks for the privilege, when he’s past his prime years and already showing signs of problems.

I’d pass.

by Adam J. Morris on May 12, 2008 7:01 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

A Lonestar in California - 2.0

David Murphy rocks, so Ellsbury can just go get himself a taco or something.

by lonestarJon on May 12, 2008 11:50 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Hafner

I’m with Walter on this one. If all we have to do is absorb the contract, I would roll the dice on Hafner. If he reverts to form, you have a superstar. We have such a low payroll right now that I think we can afford to take on these types fo deals while not dealing prospects.

People love to take about players like Pronk falling off a cliff in their early 30s, but is it really true? Do you think Ortiz is done? I think there are plenty of examples both ways. I would be interested to see a compilation of all similar players and how their early 30s turned out.

--Brian

by BCanfield on May 13, 2008 12:30 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Id have to have

a lot of the contract eaten. When we are finally competitive, I’d like the flexibility to get better players. While we have payroll flexibiilty now, 4 years is a long way away.

Here is a post on Young Players skills versus old players skills that may be interesting to you in the context of everyones favorite, Richie Sexson.

http://ussmariner.com/2008/04/21/sexson-and-old-player-skills/

"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck

by DJCahill on May 13, 2008 12:54 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Interesting.

Thanks Dan for posting that. Question: Does Hafner really have “old player” skills in the sense that the article is discussing? He has hit for a very high average and hasn’t strikeout much over his career. Do we make the mistake of considering a player to have old player skills just because they are huge men that can hit the ball a long way, regardless if they are Giambi/Canseco/Sexson/ or Bonds/Thomas? Hafner would seem to me to be more Edgar Martinez with better power than Richie Sexson.

--Brian

by BCanfield on May 14, 2008 3:37 AM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Way too much to pay

With that contract. I wouldn’t be against taking a low-risk flier on the guy, but if it meant eating his contract, then there’s no way I’d give our dominant-at-times set up man and a very promising young OFer, even if he doesn’t have an outrageous ceilling.

Maybe Dustin Nippert and Jason Botts, though….

by venturafearsnolan on May 12, 2008 3:28 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs