Now is the time, if ever, to trade J.J. Hardy.
Hardy, a beloved Oriole and one of my favorites, is about to enter into the final year of his 3 year/$22.25M contract.
J.J. is coming off another stellar season where his consistent glove (.981 FPCT) and power stroke (25 HR, leading all SS) earned him a second straight Gold Glove and his first Silver Slugger award.
Since coming to the Orioles in 2011, Hardy has been a staple of the team’s defense. He has provided the stability every manager and pitcher wants at arguably the most important position on the defensive side of the ball, while also adding a rare HR potential that isn’t seen too often in shortstops.
So why trade him? If he is everything a team wants, why let him go?
Well, that’s the exact reason the time is now. Hardy’s trade value has never been higher, and when a team that is full of young top pitching prospects like the Cardinals is in the market for a SS, now is the time to pull the trigger.
The Orioles may be able to get some strong pitching talent in return for Hardy since his stock is so high, and pitching help and depth is something the Orioles desperately need.
Last year alone, the O’s went through 14 starting pitchers, and although they found a few that stuck (Tillman, Chen, Gonzo, and Norris) they still were in the bottom of the pack and struggled to string together any sort consistency.
Don’t look for the Birds to find an established pitcher through the free agent market or via a trade, but they may find an ace of the future.
Another reason to act now is the looming contract extensions of Chris Davis and Matt Wieters. The Orioles are going to have dish out some major cash in order to secure Davis and Wieters for the future, so with Hardy entering his contract year there may not be enough room to lock him down as well.
If the O’s hold onto Hardy, it may be for only one more year. J.J. will surely be able to draw a large two or three year deal from another suitor, and with cash already tied up in Adam Jones, Davis, and Wieters the O’s most likely will not be able to match it.
Now this whole thing would be seem fine and dandy if the Birds had a shortstop that could replace Hardy (hold on I’ll get there), but with Manny Machado currently recovering from an injury that could keep him sidelined during Spring Training, they have no real options at this moment.
Asking Machado, who has spent the last year and a half locked in at third base (where he won a Gold Glove), to come back from injury and transition back to SS once the season has already started would be quite the request. I do believe Machado is talented and mature enough to be able to handle that kind of load, but it certainly isn’t the most ideal scenario.
The best course of action, if a trade was made, would be to have either Ryan Flaherty or Jonathan Schoop hold down the fort until Machado is healthy and comfortable enough to take over for the remainder of what is sure to be a phenomenal career. Then in order to fill the hole that will be left at third base, the Orioles could look into free agent market or again match-up another trade.
Some potential free agent options could be Juan Uribe, Nick Punto, Eric Chavez, Michael Young, Brandon Inge, Placido Planco, or even the Sheriff himself, Mark Reynolds.
The Orioles could explore a trade for Chase Headley or even Mark Trumbo, who has some experience at the hot corner.
Dan Duquette needs to understand the situation they are with Hardy’s stock being at it’s highest, the buyer full of a club need, and the reality that J.J. will walk after 2014. Now is the time to let the veteran shortstop go, and the return will help strengthen the future success of this organization.
