Travis Hafner obtained ten and five rights yesterday when he reached ten years of MLB service, MLBTR has confirmed. Hafner, who entered the season with nine years and nine days of service time, has 164 days of service so far in 2012 for a total of ten-plus years at the MLB level.
Hafner is in the final season of a four-year, $57MM contract that includes a limited no-trade clause. The Indians now need Hafner’s permission to trade him to any team. It’s presumably a moot point for 2012, as the designated hitter has been sidelined since August 5th with lower back inflammation. If Hafner re-signs with the Indians as a free agent he’d retain the right to veto any trade. However, if he signs elsewhere he won’t have no-trade rights unless his representatives at Legacy Sports Group negotiate them into his contract.
Players who have accumulated ten years of major league service time can't be traded without their permission if they have spent the last five years with their current club. Hafner has been playing for Cleveland since 2003.
