Travis Hafner, DH, Cleveland Indians

June 28, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Aaron Adams
Edited by Ryan Dodson

The generally very consistent Cleveland Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner has played five games at first base this season, which gives him first base eligibility in some leagues. This is a huge occurrence because it enhances his value this season and next season.

However, Hafner is amidst possibly the worst two-month stretch of his career making him a tremendous player to target as a possible trade acquisition as his value is probably at an all-time low.

Hafner began his struggles in May posting five home runs, 24 RBI, 20 runs scored with a horrendous .228 batting average. In his 74 June at-bats since then Hafner has a meager .216 batting average with one homer, 11 runs and 10 RBI, not nearly the production you would expect from an early second-round draft pick 

Hafner's lack of production over the past month has largely been due to his inconsistent approach at the plate. Hafner generally begins his swing by "loading up", which merely means he leans back before pushing his momentum toward the pitch while swinging. So far this season he has struggled to consistently "load up" before his swing causing him to be late on a lot of pitches. 

While small inconsistencies in your swing are sure to wreak havoc on productivity they are generally short-lived, particularly in players of Hafner's caliber. Hafner claims he has been putting in extra work in order to have a more consistent approach, and his career numbers indicate that he should bounce back strong meaning you should try to acquire Hafner from a possible impatient owner.

Table: Travis Hafner, DH, Cleveland Indians

Year	AB	HR	RBI	R	AVG
2005	486	33	108	94	.305
2006	454	42	117	100	.308
2007	255	11	50	45	.259

While Hafner's flawed swing has been very frustrating for fantasy owners there should be a tremendous second half ahead so be patient. While Hafner's value has been hampered by inconsistencies he has gained first base eligibility in most leagues increasing his value over the long term, particularly for next season as he will have eligibility for the duration. 

Hafner's struggles may mean that he is available to acquire from an impatient owner, but the window for acquisition is very small as he has already shown signs of improvement going 4-for-11 with one homer, and four RBI in his last three games. Hafner should work through his struggles fairly quickly and will be a tremendous player to own during the playoffs. 

While Hafner has struggled, it will still take a good offer to acquire his services as he is still highly regarded. It is difficult to say precisely who or what you should offer in order to pry him away as his owner probably drafted him as a utility player, meaning that you may not necessarily have to offer a first baseman in return. Whatever the case, we feel you should jump on Hafner now.

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Aaron Adams
Aaron has been with KFFL since 2007.

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