<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Indians sign 1B-DH Hafner to three-year deal</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
April 13, 2005
CLEVELAND (Ticker) - After locking up catcher
Victor Martinez earlier this month, the
Cleveland Indians secured another of their building blocks Wednesday, signing first baseman-designated hitter
Travis Hafner to a three-year contract.
Financial terms for the deal that includes a club option for 2008 were not disclosed, but according to published reports, the deal could be worth up to $11.5 million.
"I love playing here," Hafner said. "I love the ballpark. The fans here have been great to me. In the end it was an easy decision."
Hafner, 27, is the second key player the Indians have signed to a long-term deal since the start of the season. On April 5, the Indians inked Martinez to a five-year contract, a deal that could be worth up to $22.2 million.
"The signing of Travis Hafner is yet another example of ownership's commitment to the long-term stability of the Cleveland Indians organization," general manager Mark Shapiro said. "Not only is Travis Hafner a productive, middle-of-the-order hitter but his toughness, team attitude and work ethic are also perfect examples of the attributes we seek to find and reward in our core players." As the club's regular designated hitter last season, Hafner enjoyed a career year, batting .311 with 28 homers and 109 RBI in 140 games. He ranked ninth in the league in RBI and also scored 96 runs. Acquired in December 2002 from Texas in a deal for catcher
Einar Diaz and righthander
Ryan Drese, Hafner is a career .285 hitter with 43 homers and 157 RBI in 260 games.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
