Ever since Travis Hafner's power was sapped after the 2007 season, his contract has become more and more of a burden for the Cleveland Indians. $13 million for the 2004-2007 Hafner, who averaged 32 HR with a .410 OBP, a 156 OPS+, and a 4.5 WAR, isn't bad. $13 million for the 2008-2010 Hafner, who averaged only 11 HR with a .353 OBP, a 114 OPS+, and a 1.0 WAR, is horrible. The Indians cannot begin to be able to pay Hafner's salary for his current level of production.
That said, Travis Hafner is still not a bad player. With an OPS+ of 126 in the past two years, he's still a good hitter, even if his elite power is gone. The only reason he doesn't fit in Cleveland anymore is because they cannot afford to pay his contract. It is time for both Pronk and the Indians to move on. As such, here are 10 possible locations Travis Hafner could find himself in by the July 31 trading deadline.
Note: I don't expect the Indians to get much in return for Hafner. Anything above a single-A prospect and/or a player to be named later would surprise me. I expect the Indians to try to convince the other team to pay the rest of Hafner's contract, making it harder to get much in return. This won't be a blockbuster trade; these trades will be more of an effort to clear the books than anything else.
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