Indians/Yanks/Travis/AJ ?

[BruceK]

Just saw this @JonHeymanCBS tweet:

Yankees/indians talk revolves around aj and travis hafner. cleve unsure it would do that swap. yanks also don't mind the FA DH options.

Here's more:
http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2012/02/mlb-trade-rumors-would-you-trade-travis-hafner-for-a-j-burnett/

[Jumbo]

Just saw this @JonHeymanCBS tweet:

Yankees/indians talk revolves around aj and travis hafner. cleve unsure it would do that swap. yanks also don't mind the FA DH options.

Here's more:
http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2012/02/mlb-trade-rumors-would-you-trade-travis-hafner-for-a-j-burnett/

This didn't make any sense to me when Burnett was rumored to be going to Pittsburgh, and it makes even less sense that he'd go to Cleveland.

The Indians would just be dumping one bad contract for another (Burnett actually makes a little more money and is signed through next year). Actually, it's worse than that. Pronk, if healthy, is still an threat to put up some decent power numbers. Burnett, if healthy, will be able to pitch 200 terrible innings. Between Gomez, Huff, McAllister, Garland, Talbot, and Slowey, the Indians already have that covered.

[Jumbo]

I note that it seems like the articles discussing this possible trade suggest that some extra money would come the Indians way, so they'd have Burnett for 2 years for less than the cost of Hafner's remaining year. I still don't like the deal. Burnett is 35 years old. He has two straight years of an ERA over 5. Even before he was terrible, he was just overrated.

Please, no.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

Doesnt really make sense unless their thinking is they are going to save a bunch of money by dumping Hafner, then use said money to lock down some of their core players long term.

[Adverb Harry]

Sounds like the deal--if ever really in motion--is dead. That said, while I'd love for us to get out from under Hafner's contract, I'd prefer it in such a way that doesn't saddle us with an even longer-term bad contract. Both are sunk costs (and suck costs), but I'd just prefer to get out from under the shorter one and move on. If they were both signed just through this year, I might have been more intrigued because it would free up some of the lineup maneuvering and enable us to rotate some intriguing guys into the DH slot on a more consistent basis.

But oh well.

[skatingtripods]

Hafner's still an .820+ OPS guy. Even if it's just 4 or 5 days per week. Burnett's a shell of his former self, a whiny asshole, and has to be paid another year.

Glad this potential trade died.

Just deal with Hafner one more year and then let Santana DH full time.

[LakeErieWarriors]

Any chance Pronk plays 150 bats .285 and hits 20 dongs this year?

[Adverb Harry]

Hafner's still an .820+ OPS guy. Even if it's just 4 or 5 days per week. Burnett's a shell of his former self, a whiny asshole, and has to be paid another year.

Glad this potential trade died.

Just deal with Hafner one more year and then let Santana DH full time.

Agreed. Sad to say that Hafner is a more attractive entity than a potential target we could acquire in a trade for him.

You have to be a pretty sucky player when you're less valuable than a sore-shouldered DH who goes on the disabled list three times a year because his arm can't handle the strain of swinging a bat four times a night.

Burnett could be voted the league's least valuable player. Wasn't there an award for that in Major League?

[Adverb Harry]

Any chance Pronk plays 150 bats .285 and hits 20 dongs this year?

That would be our luck if he finally did that in his contract year. Then, he'd either use his newfound career resurgence to land a deal elsewhere, or we pull a Grady 2.0 and resign him.

But I'm betting on the typical performance all the way. Love to see him come back and really help this time, but there's a better chance I have a three-way with Kate Upton and that chick from the last Transformers movie.

[skatingtripods]

Any chance Pronk plays 150 bats .285 and hits 20 dongs this year?

No chance he plays 150. I'd think .285 and 15-17 HR is reasonable. Maybe plays 115-120 max.

We've got better depth and a legitimate 1B now. Gives us a chance to rest Hafner more often and let Santana DH.

Hafner can be productive 4-5 days per week. Probably most productive at 3-4. Sit him against any tough lefty. Always an attractive PH option.

I don't want to use the contract argument, because Hafner strikes me as anything but selfish, but it's definitely out there to consider.

Then again, I say shit like this every year and he never materializes to what I hope he will. So, I'm hoping for .285 and 15-17 and will hope to not be disappointed.

[pup]

God damn am I the polar opposite of almost everyone else on this board.

Get AJ Burnett out of the lights of NYC and you have yourself a 16 game winner, IMO.

[Larvell Blanks]

Actually, it's worse than that. Pronk, if healthy, is still an threat to put up some decent power numbers.

As relevant in 2012 as it was 2008,09,...


This quote is to February as is Groundhog's Day, President's Day, etc.

[Jumbo]

Actually, it's worse than that. Pronk, if healthy, is still an threat to put up some decent power numbers.

As relevant in 2012 as it was 2008,09,...


This quote is to February as is Groundhog's Day, President's Day, etc.

Yeah, but: if Pronk is hurt (as you can expect), you're just getting zero. A healthy Burnett is a good chance to give you less than zero.

Get AJ Burnett out of the lights of NYC and you have yourself a 16 game winner, IMO.

Times Burnett has won 16 games in a season: Once.

[leadpipe]

What's not being taken into account with Hafner is his place in the line-up when he does play.

It's one thing to have some guy at the bottom of the line-up playing 2 of three games. It's quite another to have it be your clean-up guy. There's been FAR too many times in the last three years when a total hump has been hitting in a key position in the line-up as the coaching staff holds their balls waiting on Hafner's day (or days off) and not wanting to F with the integrity of the rest of the line-up.

So yeah, Hafner sits there with his .800 OPS for half the season, while Shelly Duncan is hitting fifth the other nights. Not a small issue.

No matter how you slice it - even when you take into account he's alright when he plays, he's still an unlitigated disaster for the team as a whole.

Put it this way, any guy, that 100 % of his value was on offense, who was pretty mediocre at offense for his postion, who had a platoon differential, who has been injured for four consecutive years and signed to a ridiculous contract....any guy like this would be better replaced with a poor player that never got a big contract. Cause the team woulda cut player B four years ago and been in much better shape.

What I'm saying is, Travis Hafner, cause of health and his contract, is in many ways worse that a total stiff.

In regard to AJ Burnett, I'm not sure his head will ever get right, and I have no desire to watch another guy throw 60 pitch innings like Fausto Heredia, and why take on another year of big money - too much money to gamble ILO.

But make no mistake about it, Travis Hafner will continue to kill the team until they can roll him outta here.

[gotribe31]

Pre-NYY AJ Burnett was a little better than a league-average pitcer (ERA+ of 111 from age 23-31). Those were his prime years. AJ Burnett for his age 35 and 36 seasons? No thanks. Especially at that $ figure.

In 3 years in NY, he lead the league in either walks, HBP, WP or some combination of the three every season. Dude is Knoblauched.

[pup]

God damn am I the polar opposite of almost everyone else on this board.

Get AJ Burnett out of the lights of NYC and you have yourself a 16 game winner, IMO.

Someone brought this up on Twitter tonight.

Just sayin...