Why Non-Tendering JJ Hardy Would Be A Mistake
By Fetch
Note: As Nick Nelson pointed out to me, the original title wasn’t a good one. Or was it just a trap to get tons of eyeballs to the site? No. I am just a space case.
Rumors abound that the Twins are discussing non-tendering JJ Hardy. While I hope this is a silly rumor and I won’t end up having to write any more about this nonsense, here is why this is nonsense:
Does JJ Hardy stand to make a hefty salary? Yes. Are the Twins somewhat cash strapped? Yes. Guess what: they’re going to turn a profit whether they pay JJ Hardy 6 million or whether they pay someone else 2 million. They just are. Their main goal should be winning as many baseball games as they possibly can, and the way to do that is by employing JJ Hardy as their shortstop.
To prove it, here is a little graph comparing Hardy with likely to be available shortstops, whether it is through free agency or other players getting non-tendered.
All values are an average of the last 3 years:
Bill Smith: please give him a contract. Please.