MB'09 - Travis "Pronk" Hafner, DH, CLE

[Bodhizefa]

I wish I had a crystal ball that would give me an expected outcome of only one player, because I would most certainly utter the name "Travis Hafner" as my solitary choice. He's been injured for the majority of the last two seasons (according to most reports I've read, even though he played almost a full season in '07, he was hurt the majority of the time), so who knows if he's got anything really left. His shoulder surgeries are encouraging as that is what has supposedly ailed him the last two years, but there are certainly plenty of hulking sluggers who have dropped off a cliff quickly and never returned. And so Pronk must forge a path that will become tougher with each passing year -- defy age and injury to become a productive slugger again. I don't think his skills are so far eroded that he won't be of value to Cleveland as a DH. He's likely to still walk a bunch and his power output shouldn't hover too low into the 20's to make him sketchy. But does he have another 35+ homer season in him? Probably not. My guess is that he hovers close to his '07 numbers of .260/24/100/80 with some obvious upside. But I wouldn't pay for anything more than those numbers at this point because the obvious downside is very real, too.

I love Pronk more than anything and still proudly display his bobblehead in front of my HDTV (along with my bobblehead Staypuft Marshmallow Man, if anyone's curious ). But Hafner's age and skillset are going against him at this point, and I'm unfortunately going to be very conservative in his projection, but with the hope that he blooms back into one of the best hitters in baseball as he was from 2004-2006.

[cwk1963]

I love Pronk more than anything and still proudly display his bobblehead in front of my HDTV (along with my bobblehead Staypuft Marshmallow Man, if anyone's curious ). But Hafner's age and skillset are going against him at this point, and I'm unfortunately going to be very conservative in his projection, but with the hope that he blooms back into one of the best hitters in baseball as he was from 2004-2006.

Me hopes not!!! I've been burned by him the past 2 years - somebody else's turn now.

[CubFan]

Unless he comes super cheap I'll leave him to others. Probably bring him up early to give others the impression I'm trying to sneak a guy through.

[cwk1963]

Unless he comes super cheap I'll leave him to others. Probably bring him up early to give others the impression I'm trying to sneak a guy through.

My luck the crickets would come out and I'd be stuck with him and he'll tank again. Even if it was just for $1 it would suck since he would tie up my DH and a roster spot.

[viper]

last season I had Ortiz in both my AL-only leagues. Eligibility was just one game and I figured during inter-league play, he would get it. Alas, those were the days he was out with injury. While I could replace him while injured, I had to reactive him as soon as he was back. I went the whole season with the DL slot essentially unavailable for rsoter management. The league has no bench so if a good OF came available and all my OF were as good, I had to pass. Bottom line is that I would need to get a DH-only player at a real discount to do it again. Have a slot frozen that way make in-season play more difficult.

[SteveB]

Unless he comes super cheap I'll leave him to others. Probably bring him up early to give others the impression I'm trying to sneak a guy through.

so far he is coming very cheap in a 15 team NFBC style draft he has gone after round 20 twice that i have seen . I would say as a late round what if? move doesnt hurt you very much. If your counting on pronk then it might be a long year for your team.

Look at the first week of ST if he jacks one or two out or looks good in BP then his draft position might start moving up.

[da_big_kid_94]

Because of the way Cleveland handled the VMart situation last year, I will have a tough time believing anything I read in the press or released by the Indians on a positive note regarding Pronk. If I want to get a DH with an injury history this season, I believe I'll be focusing on Rocco Baldelli.

[SteveB]

Because of the way Cleveland handled the VMart situation last year, I will have a tough time believing anything I read in the press or released by the Indians on a positive note regarding Pronk. If I want to get a DH with an injury history this season, I believe I'll be focusing on Rocco Baldelli.

I drafted Rocco in my first draft before he had signed on with BOS. I wouldnt want either to be a starter at DH when the season begins. However at THIS point right now to throw on your reserve list and see how ST works out i dont think is a bad move. If healthy Pronk could provide 20-25 HRs, 100+ RBIs and , 75+ Runs....If he is hurt and it clearly shows during ST ....drop him and pick up an undrafted Spring training surprise that made the team or is getting playing time that they were not originally supposed to get.

[drapes]

This is a clip on Pronk from an article I'm putting together. You don't draft him like it's 2006, but for as fall as he's falling, he makes a great upside pick at a fair value:

Travis Hafner – Surgery on Hafner’s shoulder in October revealed no structural damage, so doctors cleaned out his shoulder joint with the hope that the procedure would, in the least, temporarily ease the pain he’s been experiencing. Two concerns raised at the time were what exactly does “temporarily mean”, and that it would be much more reassuring if the doctors had found a definitive injury that could be taken care of permanently. On January 16th, Stephanie Storm of the Akron Beacon Journal covered what she described as a “slimmed-down” Hafner’s address to the local media between workouts at Progressive Field the previous day. "The shoulder had just shut down from the pain it was experiencing," Hafner said. "It didn’t want to do anything because bone chips were in there aggravating it. They said it wouldn’t have gotten better had he not cleaned it out and done surgery. It just wasn’t able to function properly." Hafner offered an update on his status rehabbing the shoulder saying that "everything is going well. I’m a little ahead of schedule, or right on schedule, as I start my hitting program next week.” Hafner hopes to be back to form by Opening Day. Hafner is sure to see a drop in perceived value in upcoming drafts, as demonstrated by his absence from Mock Draft Central’s ADP top 75 report. If you aren’t too scarred from last years disappointment, Hafner could be a strong value play for ’09.

Source - http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/bas ... ion=recent

[cwk1963]

This is a clip on Pronk from an article I'm putting together. You don't draft him like it's 2006, but for as fall as he's falling, he makes a great upside pick at a fair value:

Travis Hafner – Surgery on Hafner’s shoulder in October revealed no structural damage, so doctors cleaned out his shoulder joint with the hope that the procedure would, in the least, temporarily ease the pain he’s been experiencing. Two concerns raised at the time were what exactly does “temporarily mean”, and that it would be much more reassuring if the doctors had found a definitive injury that could be taken care of permanently. On January 16th, Stephanie Storm of the Akron Beacon Journal covered what she described as a “slimmed-down” Hafner’s address to the local media between workouts at Progressive Field the previous day. "The shoulder had just shut down from the pain it was experiencing," Hafner said. "It didn’t want to do anything because bone chips were in there aggravating it. They said it wouldn’t have gotten better had he not cleaned it out and done surgery. It just wasn’t able to function properly." Hafner offered an update on his status rehabbing the shoulder saying that "everything is going well. I’m a little ahead of schedule, or right on schedule, as I start my hitting program next week.” Hafner hopes to be back to form by Opening Day. Hafner is sure to see a drop in perceived value in upcoming drafts, as demonstrated by his absence from Mock Draft Central’s ADP top 75 report. If you aren’t too scarred from last years disappointment, Hafner could be a strong value play for ’09.

Source - http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/bas ... ion=recent

I'm not one to think it would be much more reassuring if the doctor's found a definitive injury that could be taken care of permanently. I'm about 2 months removed from shoulder surgery myself. I go to the gym and work out regularly and am in very good shape. I had gotten to the point, though, where I couldn't even lift 5 pounds straight overhead. My father and brother both have had rotator cuff tears. Mine turned out to be 2 things. A slightly torn and frayed labrum and impingement syndrome where the end of my collar bone had to be taken down. I'm back to the gym and doing everything I was before except for lifting the amount of weight I was before, which I am steadily working up to. My father and brother had many months of physical therapy (I had none) and weren't back to 'normal' for much, much longer. If Pronk's surgery was kind of like mine (a general cleaning up), that's much better IMO.

[drapes]

This is a clip on Pronk from an article I'm putting together. You don't draft him like it's 2006, but for as fall as he's falling, he makes a great upside pick at a fair value:

Travis Hafner – Surgery on Hafner’s shoulder in October revealed no structural damage, so doctors cleaned out his shoulder joint with the hope that the procedure would, in the least, temporarily ease the pain he’s been experiencing. Two concerns raised at the time were what exactly does “temporarily mean”, and that it would be much more reassuring if the doctors had found a definitive injury that could be taken care of permanently. On January 16th, Stephanie Storm of the Akron Beacon Journal covered what she described as a “slimmed-down” Hafner’s address to the local media between workouts at Progressive Field the previous day. "The shoulder had just shut down from the pain it was experiencing," Hafner said. "It didn’t want to do anything because bone chips were in there aggravating it. They said it wouldn’t have gotten better had he not cleaned it out and done surgery. It just wasn’t able to function properly." Hafner offered an update on his status rehabbing the shoulder saying that "everything is going well. I’m a little ahead of schedule, or right on schedule, as I start my hitting program next week.” Hafner hopes to be back to form by Opening Day. Hafner is sure to see a drop in perceived value in upcoming drafts, as demonstrated by his absence from Mock Draft Central’s ADP top 75 report. If you aren’t too scarred from last years disappointment, Hafner could be a strong value play for ’09.

Source - http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/bas ... ion=recent

I'm not one to think it would be much more reassuring if the doctor's found a definitive injury that could be taken care of permanently. I'm about 2 months removed from shoulder surgery myself. I go to the gym and work out regularly and am in very good shape. I had gotten to the point, though, where I couldn't even lift 5 pounds straight overhead. My father and brother both have had rotator cuff tears. Mine turned out to be 2 things. A slightly torn and frayed labrum and impingement syndrome where the end of my collar bone had to be taken down. I'm back to the gym and doing everything I was before except for lifting the amount of weight I was before, which I am steadily working up to. My father and brother had many months of physical therapy (I had none) and weren't back to 'normal' for much, much longer. If Pronk's surgery was kind of like mine (a general cleaning up), that's much better IMO.

I completely agree if finding nothing means that it was the junk in the shoulder joint that was the source of the pain. If that junk was a result of something else that they haven't figured out yet, then there's room for concern. And for clarification, it was the guys at Rotoworld who were concerned about the lack of a definitive injury.

On the whole I'm cautiously optimistic with Pronk this year, if for no other reason than he will likely be available at a discount.

[Todd Zola]

Here's my take on guys like Hafner, someone returning from an injury and HOPING that he returns to form, as opposed to someone like Ortiz or V-Mart, where the likelihood they return to form is a little greater.

To me Hafner is only a target in a keeper league where I do not have the best of keepers, hopefully because I won the previous season. Taking him in a redraft league, even at a discount in hopes he returns is basically admitting you need some luck to compete, you need the potential profit Hafner will return. I will certainly take on some risk and need some luck to compete, but to lock up my utility at the point where Hafner will be drafted is not something I want to do.

[cwk1963]

Here's my take on guys like Hafner, someone returning from an injury and HOPING that he returns to form, as opposed to someone like Ortiz or V-Mart, where the likelihood they return to form is a little greater.

To me Hafner is only a target in a keeper league where I do not have the best of keepers, hopefully because I won the previous season. Taking him in a redraft league, even at a discount in hopes he returns is basically admitting you need some luck to compete, you need the potential profit Hafner will return. I will certainly take on some risk and need some luck to compete, but to lock up my utility at the point where Hafner will be drafted is not something I want to do.

Hear Hear. I will take him in a bench draft but won't waste an auction spot on him.

[drapes]

I will certainly take on some risk and need some luck to compete, but to lock up my utility at the point where Hafner will be drafted is not something I want to do.

Where do you think that is? I'm not suggesting targeting him, but if you're in a spot late where you need some power, who are some alternatives that offer the production that he's capable of providing if healthy? Granted there is risk with Hafner.

[Todd Zola]

I will certainly take on some risk and need some luck to compete, but to lock up my utility at the point where Hafner will be drafted is not something I want to do.

Where do you think that is? I'm not suggesting targeting him, but if you're in a spot late where you need some power, who are some alternatives that offer the production that he's capable of providing if healthy? Granted there is risk with Hafner.

At present, Hafner's ADP is about 220, which puts him about 15th round of a 15-team draft, 18th in a 12-teamer.

By 'value', he is presently MY 190th ranked hitter --making him undraftable in a 12-team league and 22nd round in a 15-team league.

Guys like Lind, Snider, Griffey, Butler, Willingham, sometimes Cust are alternatives.

[ShawnC]

I've been burned by him the past 2 years - somebody else's turn now.

Unless of course he lights the world on fire this season - meaning you'll get burned for a third time by passing on him..

[cwk1963]

I've been burned by him the past 2 years - somebody else's turn now.

Unless of course he lights the world on fire this season - meaning you'll get burned for a third time by passing on him..

I guess that falls under the heading 'if it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all'.

[Bodhizefa]

Early returns are good. I'll be very intrigued to see how his new slimmer figure holds up throughout the year (was the weight hindering his health or was it a different kind of weight that we shall not speak of, for example). So far he's doing things I haven't seen from him since '06 (like hit with power to the opposite field and go deep into the count and not look clueless). Here's hoping he can hold up.

[jkadagio]

I'm with you Bod...here is to hoping he holds up. I was a big skeptic going into the season, but his results to date, and the fact that Wedge seems commited to him batting 4th has me intrigued. He went undrafted in my 12 team mixed. I'm gonna hop aboard the train with a waiver claim tonight.

[jkadagio]

Anyone seen any of Pronks recent AB's? I picked him up off the wire, and surprisingly two recent trade offers sent to me have included him.

I'm surprised by the interest, but haven't seen any of his AB's over the last week.

[Bodhizefa]

Anyone seen any of Pronks recent AB's? I picked him up off the wire, and surprisingly two recent trade offers sent to me have included him.

I'm surprised by the interest, but haven't seen any of his AB's over the last week.

Thus far, he's been the real deal. It's not like he's hitting a bunch of cheap homers, and he's walking like the good ol' days, too. I certainly wouldn't sell him as a throw-in given his pedigree, if that's what you're asking.

[cwk1963]

Looking like 3 year in a row Hafner will stick it to me.

[Bodhizefa]

Uh oh. He's going on the DL with right shoulder soreness. This could be the beginning of the end

I'd also like to vent for a brief moment and mention that on my dynasty league team, I now have such wonderful injured players as Daisuke Matsuzaka, Chris Carpenter, John Lackey, Jose Valverde, Hiroki Kuroda, and Pronk along with borderline 15-day DL guys like Derrek Lee, Josh Hamilton and Brad Lidge. I generally have a pretty injury prone team because I take chances and also have crappy luck, but this is ridiculous! Has anyone done any research into whether or not heavy drinking helps weather injury storms like this?

[Todd Zola]

Not sure I would be looking for a ledge to jump from just yet...

This is normal, if not expected.

Chase Utley owners, brace yourself, chances are at some point he will be looked at for soreness in his hip. Just part and parcel to the game.

[RandyKutcherHair]

Now that Pronk is off the DL, what you guys think about his chances of a rebound going forward? It's being reported that the Indians won't play more then 2 or 3 games in a row for awhile. I have the top priority in a 8 team AL Only dynasty roto league. In order to get him I would have to use that priority and drop JD Drew to fit him on my roster. I am in last place and it doesn't look like I will have a shot at the money this year. Not sure if its better to keep Drew and then try and use that priority on a player traded from the NL?

[jkadagio]

Randy,

I don't play in 'only' leagues, but I think it may be worth holding your priority for a player possibly switching leagues.

I think I've seen enough of Hafner to realize this is going to be a frustrating year to own him. I think with limited use by CLE to keep him healthy, he'll have small bursts of usefulness, followed by missed games, etc.

At this point, I'm just hoping to get a relatively productive stretch out of him so I can package him in a trade. I had several offers for him early in the season after he had a decent few weeks. I know most owners in my league know what I know about him, but I'm gonna try and find the one that hasn't paid as much attention.

[Trav The Ump]

I pretty much agree with the above post except what are the keeper rules on guys coming over? There hasn't been a ton of speculation of anyone coming over as of yet. Not a Teixeira type player anyways, other than Holliday possibly going the other way. But you never know. I'd rather sit on it and wait for something a little more enticing. If your out of it Hafner isn't solely going to fix that problem. Don't waste it.