J.J. Hardy was once a top prospect of the Milwaukee Brewers. A second-round pick in 2001, four years later he was Milwaukee's starting shortstop and by 2008, at age 25, he posted an .821 OPS and looked like he'd be a solid performer for years to come.
Orioles Sign J.J. Hardy To Three-Year Contract Extension ... But Why?
And then he started getting hurt. He hasn't played a full season since that fine 2008, and was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles before the 2011 season in a minor trade.
After playing six games this season, he got hurt again -- a strained oblique -- and missed a month. He’s having a good offensive year, hitting .278/.335/.490 with 13 HR and 33 RBI in 65 games, and as a reward, the Orioles have signed him to a three-year contract extension worth a reported $22 million. Why are they doing this?
... the Orioles believe he can stay healthy enough to provide the perfect bridge to 19-year-old shortstop Manny Machado, the club’s top prospect who is playing at Class-A Frederick.
The Orioles are going nowhere this year. In fact, they are likely headed for their sixth straight 90+ loss season. They've wasted money (more than $15 million) this season on Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero. Spending this kind of money on Hardy just seems kind of ... pointless. If Machado is that good, waiting for him could be "bridged" by any number of replacement-level players, since Baltimore isn't likely to be any good until he gets there.
It’s just another in a long line of decisions that have made the Orioles baseball’s afterthought.
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