Is it too early to call the J.J. Hardy extension a mistake?

Let's talk about J.J. Hardy for a moment since nobody seems to want to discuss his struggles. It's alarming how bad he has been at the plate this year. Hardy has a BB rate of 4.2% this year which is the worst walk rate on a team filled with impatient hackers. Among the 31 shortstops in baseball with over 200 plate appearances, Hardy is 26th in OPS and 27th in on-base percentage and wRC+. The alarming part is that his current .269 BABIP is not too far off from his career .278 BABIP so there's not much indication his atrocious performance at the plate has been due to bad luck. His defense has been solid as always but is it worth paying $13 million a year for an aging all-glove no-bat shortstop? I feel like the Orioles could have easily found a cheaper, younger alternative at SS or moved Manny to SS and traded for a player like Trevor Plouffe who is blocking Sano right now.

When they signed him, the only question was if he could stay healthy. Well...he hasn't been healthy the last two years, and his performance has suffered.

In retrospect it's a bad deal, but it wasn't an awful idea at the time.

I would have traded him a few years ago, but I understand why they didn't. But I wouldn't have resigned him. With his injuries and age, he seemed like a 2 WAR player for the rest of the contract.

It was a horrible at bat in a big situation.

His range isn't good but you won't find a more sure handed shortstop.

He's never been a patient hitter. Never will be. Unfortunately he's no longer a power hitter.

There's the rub.

It was not a good deal because of the injuries and frankly lack of production. That said, its not like JJ brings nothing to the team. He is a solid defender, has a knack for hitting decently with RISP and IMO if we lose this division, it wont be because of JJ Hardy.

So it might not have been a good deal but it was not a complete bust.

Yes, it's too early.

He does so many things well that do not show up on the box score. And I still think there's some life left in that bat. And the range may be what it used to be, but he's not late-in-his-career Jeter either.

I'm glad JJ's on our our team, and we'll miss him when he's gone.

Yes, it's too early.

Yeah. Thread is not good.

Yes, it's too early.

:agree: :agree:

As bad as his offense has been, his return stabilized and markedly improved the infield defense.

Catchers and shortstops who can hit are the hardest position players to find/replace. We can't even come up with quality corner outfielders. What would be the alternative at SS to Hardy extended?

I am glad he is back. How many years did we look for a SS before we got him?

I am just not going to expect his value to be from his offense. I still like him at the plate in big spots.

What would be the alternative at SS to Hardy extended?

That's an easy question to answer. Move Manny back to Short.

Put me down for too early.

That's an easy question to answer. Move Manny back to Short.

And Garrett Atkins at third. Victory!!!!

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I was just wondering tonight what we could get for Hardy. After this season he will be a 5 and 10 guy, with the right to veto any trade. It would be fun to watch Manny and Schoop up the middle. Until Manny was brought up from Bowie in 2012, those two were the double-play combo of the future. Well, the future is here.