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Travis Hafner comments on Indians declining option, possible return

Travis Hafner had his option declined by the Cleveland Indians, but he still hopes for a return in 2013.

David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

The Cleveland Indians declined a $13 million option for Travis Hafner, which could signify an end to his time in Cleveland. He spent 10 years with the Indians, but injuries and inconsistency have hurt his stock tremendously over the past couple seasons. Since playing 152 games in 2007, Hafner did not play more than 118 games in a season between 2008-12.

He played just 66 games last year. Cleveland.com had some quotes from Hafner in which he talked about the injuries:

"The injuries were really frustrating. I spent a lot of time working out and staying in shape behind the scenes and during the off-season so I could stay in the lineup.

"To be hurt, to miss a significant amount of playing time, is really devastating. You just try to get better as fast as you can."

Still, a return to Cleveland isn't totally out of the question. He just won't be returning to a contract that pays him $13 million in 2013, that's for certain. But Hafner did mentioned that he loves the area, and that he "doesn't know what his market value is." The piece says it will take some time to see if another team or the Indians are interested. Meanwhile, he'll remain in the Cleveland area because perhaps where he really wants to be is with the Indians.

Photographs by spatulated, Triple Tri, and chrischappelear used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.