Hafner Extended!

Pronk and the Indians agreed this week on a 4-year, $57 million contract extension that (barring trade) will keep him with the team until 2012. Some of the total contract amount will be added to Travis's 2007 and 2008 salaries under his current contract. So it's not strictly a $14.5 million-per-year deal — especially given that Hafner is way underpaid right now.

In the end, a very good deal, I think. I'm a bit unsettled, based on how he has performed this year. The Indians surely would be snookered if the Pronk Of Old never resurfaces. But really, Travis's track record speaks for itself, and two months of subpar performance at the plate don't really read like a trend when you look at his overall body of work.

Putting aside the obvious benefit of keeping a great hitter and an all-around good guy in the fold for five more years, the deal sends some messages:

First, it tells Hafner that, whatever adversity he has faced in this first half, the Indians stand behind him and believe he is a preeminent hitting talent substantially equivalent in value to David Ortiz.

Second, it tells the fan base that the team is committed to keeping these players around. So many of my friends and family who leaved and breathed Indians baseball in the '90s can't seem to reawaken their interest. When I ask them why they're not buying in, they don't deny that the team is good, or that the front office has hit upon a winning formula. Their beef is that players come and go, and before you know it, it's 25 strangers populating the clubhouse. But we've got some terrific players and human beings on this team right now — and they look to be around for years to come.

This is Tribe Juggernaut 2.0, people. Jump on the bandwagon, everybody! And Mr. Hafner, you are charged with leading us deep into the playoffs.