Thursday: The Yankees are on the verge of a deal with Hafner according to Chad Jennings. They two sides are finalizing some contract language and the agreement could be announced as soon as later today. The deal is believed to be along the lines of the one-year, $1.1M contract Raul Ibanez signed last year.
Wednesday: Via Rob Bradford: The Yankees might be nearing a deal with free agent DH Travis Hafner. Dan Barbarisi says Pronk is believed to want more than a minor league contract, and Jon Heyman says the team is talking to other players as well.
Hafner, 34, hit .228/.346/.438 (119 wRC+) in 263 plate appearances for the Indians last season while dealing with a bulging disc in his lower back. Various injuries, most notably right shoulder surgery, have limited him to just 429 of 910 possible games over the last five years. Hafner is a pure DH who can’t play a position (even in an emergency) or hit left-handed pitchers, but he’s a lefty bat with power and patience. Classic Yankees hitter. Given the available options right now, he’s by far the best.