So I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who was a little bit disappointed when this news broke today. I was just as hopeful about the Mariners bringing in Hardy as the next guy, so this one hurts a little.
As for the deal, it makes a lot of sense for both teams – especially the Twins. I really think the Brewers could have done fairly significantly better than Carlos Gomez though – he can play defense, and that’s about it – and I also think we could have given them a better return, which leads me to believe that Jack Z is fairly committed to locking up Jack Wilson. Nonetheless, the path is now clear in Milwaukee for Alcides Escobar, and they cleared up some cash, which is always nice.
The Twins, on the other hand, made out like bandits. They managed to get a huge upgrade at a tricky position, without giving up much. Bravo, Bill Smith.
So, what does this mean for the Mariners? Well, frankly, it means more Jack Wilson – and barring any unreasonable contract, I’m completely fine with that. I was hoping the Hardy dream would become a reality, but as Taylor said, we had a great backup plan.
For everyone out there looking for offensive improvements, which I think covers pretty much everyone – do not worry. We aren’t going to be upgrading offensively at shortstop, but there are several other positions in which we almost certainly will. This is really nothing to be upset about – Jack Wilson will continue to be a more than adequate option at short.
Don’t be surprised if we hear his signing announcement at some point over the next few days.
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If Zduriencik doesn’t want Hardy, I’ll trust that he has a good reason for not wanting him. Watch Hardy scuffle in 2010.
I like Hardy, but there were some definite red flags surrounding his performance. Look at the way his LD% has steadily dropped every year of his career. LD% isn’t an exact science due to the imperfect batted ball classification systems, but his career trend was of someone losing his ability to square up on the ball.
Is Hardy still better than Jack Wilson? Statistically it would seem likely, but this is one where we’ve got to trust Z’s scouting eye combined with the front office’s grasp of the numbers.