GM Chris Antonetti says DH Travis Hafner will be back in 2012 for the final year of his contract.
View full sizeTravis Hafner hit 13 home runs this season and played in just 94 games, but Indians management believes he's productive enough when healthy to bring him back next season for $13 million.CLEVELAND, Ohio — Three days after the final game of the World Series, the Indians must decide whether to exercise the 2012 club options of Grady Sizemore for $9 million and Fausto Carmona for $7 million.
If they don't, Sizemore is eligible for free agency and Carmona for salary arbitration.
The Indians don't have an option on Travis Hafner for 2012, but they do have a decision to make. They could bring him back next year to honor the final year of his contract for $13 million, or they could cut the cord on the biggest deal in Indians history and start over at DH.
On Thursday, GM Chris Antonetti said Hafner would be back, despite making two trips to the disabled list this year and not playing more than 118 games a season since 2007. For a while, there has been a feeling among the Indians string-pullers that if Hafner's production ever dropped low enough, ownership might be willing to eat a part of the contract.
Hafner played only 94 games this year. He hit .280, with 16 doubles, 13 homers and 57 RBI. Apparently that was enough to persuade owners Larry and Paul Dolan to put down the knives and forks.
"What Travis has continued to demonstrate is that, when he's healthy and on the field, he's a productive hitter," said Antonetti. "So when we look to next year's team, we think Travis is going to be healthy and if he is, he'll be a productive player for us."
Here are some other points Antonetti and manager Manny Acta touched on during their wrap-up of the 2011 season:
Sizemore will go to Vail, Colo., on Monday to have his bruised right knee examined by Dr. Richard Steadman. The information the Indians receive will help determine if they exercise his option.
Steadman performed microfracture surgery on Sizemore's left knee last year. The Indians don't think Sizemore will need surgery on his right knee. The decision they make on his option will determine, in part, what they can and can't do in the postseason.
"It will determine where we may have some needs," Antonetti said. "There's an economic impact as well, in terms of the dollars we can allocate to improve the team elsewhere."
One of Carmona's biggest problems this season came when he pitched out of the stretch. Acta said the Indians will work on that in spring training.
Acta said rookie second baseman Jason Kipnis will go into spring training with a "leg up" on the second-base job.
Regarding rookie third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, Acta said, "I can't say he'll be our third baseman in April, but he's going to get a good opportunity in spring training."
From the way Antonetti and Acta talked about third baseman Jack Hannahan, it sounds as if he will be back.
The Indians could have as many as nine players eligible for salary arbitration if Carmona's option isn't picked up and Tony Sipp makes Super Two status. That will increase the Indians $49 million payroll big time.
First baseman Matt LaPorta has been told he has to come to camp next spring and win a job. Acta wants to add a hitter to the lineup. It could be at first or third base, and Acta doesn't care which side of the plate that person hits from.
Antonetti feels Jim Thome, 41, can still help a team next season.
"I think Jimmy is the one who is going to make the decision whether he plays or doesn't," Antonetti said.
Acta wants the Indians' defense to improve. It has made 110 errors in each of the past two seasons.
"You won't make the postseason if you have 100 errors a year unless you have a dominant pitching staff and offense," Acta said.
Indians hitters struck out 1,269 times, the second-highest total in the AL. Acta said a lot of that has to do with the youth and inexperience of the Indians.
"We had the third-youngest team in the big leagues," he said.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158
On Twitter: @hoynsie
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2011/09/travis_hafner_will_return_but.html
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