Travis Hafner Officially a New York Yankee

Added by Gina Sorce on February 11, 2013.

Travis Hafner and the Yankees have agreed to a contract.

The Yankees announced yesterday that they signed Travis Hafner of the Cleveland Indians to a one-year, Major League contract.

According to the official press release, Hafner, designated hitter, is a career .278 hitter with 588 runs, 242 doubles, 201 home runs and 694 RBI during his 11 year career. The veteran started his career with the Texas Rangers in 2002 and has spent the last 9 seasons with the Cleveland Indians. Hafner ranks six on the list of on-base percentages among current American League hitters.

During the 2012 season, Hafner played in 66 games with Cleveland with a batting average of .228, along with six doubles, 12 home runs and 34 RBI.  Hafner’s season was plagued by injury, forcing him to spend time on the disabled list from May 24- July 4 after undergoing right knee surgery. His second stint on the disabled list was from August 6-September 19, when he suffered from lower back inflammation.

The signing of Hafner brings another strong left-handed hitter to the stacked lineup, and with uncertainty surrounding Alex Rodriguez’s future with the Yankees, Hafner secures a crucial spot on the roster.