Hardy Extension Announced Today

[LA2]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Sources: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Orioles?src=hash">#Orioles</a> also pushing to complete deal with Cruz, who recently changed agents, signing with Relativity Sports.</p>— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="

">October 9, 2014</a></blockquote>

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Wowie zowie!

[baltfan]

Health is my only real concern. I think his bat will age relatively well. Looking at the other options available at SS, this makes sense.

Cruz is far less of a priority in my mind. Let him take the QO, put De Aza in left and let Pierce and Davis rotate through DH and 1B.

[Aristotelian]

Congratulations JJ!!!!!! Three years is perfect and the money sounds reasonable. That is just fantastic news for a rainy day.

Payroll was indeed going to push $110M in 2015.....if you project increases via arbitration (including De Aza, Hunter, Norris, Pearce) and newly eligible arbitration players (like Tillman, Gonzalez, Britton, Flaherty), the money we save on Markakis, Cruz and Hardy would have been mostly eaten back up. Add in an extra $1M for O'Day's option, Jimenez's $1M increase - it's close. The key is Davis - do they offer him a contract or not. Could a deal for Hardy mean the end of Davis as an Oriole?

TV and ticket money from the playoffs could give us some wiggle room. More than Hardy's money, I think it is the performance of Steve Pearce and the potential of Christian Walker that do not bode well for Chris.

I have a hard time seeing us non-tender Chris but you never know. Another possibility would be to extend him below his arbitration salary. Given the year he has had, he might be inclined to take that deal. Fangraphs has his 2010-2014 value at $39 million. You could offer him 5 years/$40 million and hope he has one or two monster season left in him.

[weams]

Great news about JJ and I don't mean to hijack the thread but I'm now wondering what the monetary value of getting to the postseason, perhaps deep into the postseason for the club? Not for the players themselves but for the organization. Thanks.

Not nearly enough for this. Though the fact that the Nationals rights valuation even in an initial ruling has been cut substantially is more likely to have soothed the ownership.

[Spy Fox]

This is awesome news! Fangraphs has JJ as being worth $67M over the past four seasons with the O's so 3/40ish in terms of market value seems like a pretty safe bet, even when you factor in possible decline. Add in the fact that this keeps him away from NYY plus the fact that we don't have anyone in the system to replace him, so this prevents us from spending $$ or trading players for a different SS.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Sources: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Orioles?src=hash">#Orioles</a> also pushing to complete deal with Cruz, who recently changed agents, signing with Relativity Sports.</p>— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="

">October 9, 2014</a></blockquote>

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Don't feel as great about this one but I will wait and see what the type of contract is. If it's more than two years I will be displeased.

And for all we talked about extending Wieters and Davis, signing these extensions does make it less likely they'll be returning after next year. Especially if they bring back Markakis as well.

[Can_of_corn]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Sources: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Orioles?src=hash">#Orioles</a> also pushing to complete deal with Cruz, who recently changed agents, signing with Relativity Sports.</p>? Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="

">October 9, 2014</a></blockquote>

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The Hardy deal is very defensible even if I wouldn't do it.

To extend Cruz is just not very smart.

I hope Cruz's new agent prices him out of the O's range.

[Todd-O]

One of my favorite Birds.

End all speculation about Manny.

Gotta say, this does not bode well for Davis.

[BohKnowsBmore]

One of my favorite Birds.

End all speculation about Manny.

Gotta say, this does not bode well for Davis.

They're keeping the band TOGETHER.

[Austin]

What a nice surprise. Glad to have you for three more years JJ and I look forward to the day you're inducted into the O's HOF.

[Oriole1940]

Amen, Brother Ben. Excellent coach, excellent human being..

[mdbdotcom]

The Hardy deal is very defensible even if I wouldn't do it.

To extend Cruz is just not very smart.

I hope Cruz's new agent prices him out of the O's range.

I hope they structure the deal to minimize risk while making him an Oriole for at least two more years (plus options).

[Can_of_corn]

Definitely surprising if true. I know it's cheesy, but I think his clubhouse leadership is factoring in.

It has to absolutely be no more than 3 years. O's won't go more than that, obviously, and Cruz won't likely go less. Gotta have something in there to lessen the blow, performance bonuses, club option for 3rd year... something. We'll see!

Could there be a more obvious bad move then extending a 34 year old DH in the midst of a career year?

[brooksfrankjim]

Miller is a must keep. With him our bullpen is lights out. Imagine if we keep this group together and have better health next year.

[Can_of_corn]

What a nice surprise. Glad to have you for three more years JJ and I look forward to the day you're inducted into the O's HOF.

It's a pretty low bar that I am sure Hardy has already passed.

[AlbionHero]

I'm actually happy to hear its a bigger deal than I expected, simply because it shows the O's are more willing to spend than in previous years. As we have more success our payroll is going to get bigger and bigger, and that bodes well for the future.