Indians rumors: Cleveland open to re-signing Travis Hafner

Cleveland Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said the team is "open" to re-signing designated hitter Travis Hafner, reports Jordan Bastian of MLB.com:

"We remain open to it," Antonetti said. "We'll have to see how our roster takes shape this winter, and he'll obviously have to evaluate his alternatives."

The Indians declined Hafner’s $13 million option for the 2013 season yesterday, instead opting to buy out his contract for $2.75 million. While the Indians didn’t want to pay that price to have the slugger back for next season, they may be interested in working out a lesser agreement depending on how their winter pans out.

For his part, Hafner is interested in the opportunity to return with the Indians next season. He does agree that discussions will "take some time" to develop as his market is determined over the winter.

After being acquired from the Texas Rangers prior to the 2002 season, Hafner has spent the past 10 years with the Indians. He hit .228/.346/.438 with six doubles and 12 home runs over 219 at-bats last season, and he owns a career line of .278/.381/.507.