JJ Hardy optioned to AAA- Latest: Per McCalvy, JJ will be left at AAA and add another year before free agency

[dadofandrew]

I would assume because he's been injured.

[Ennder]

You are making a big and most likely wrong assumption that Suppan's injuries are 'made up'. It just isn't very likely that it is true.

[greeg35]

I agree that Hardy will not play for the Brewers again. This is a last ditch effort by Doug to raise his trade value in any way possible at this point, and its a good idea. It's dissapointing it has to end this way for Hardy, who has been a good Brewer. I wish him well where ever he ends up.

[kramnoj]

I hate to turn every thread into a Suppan bashing thread, but why is he immune from this, considering that he's the 'brutallist of them all'?

 

1. If you really hated to do it, you wouldn't do it.

2. He's immune because that's what the rules are.

3. He isn't brutal compared to the pitchers who have been asked to replace him.

 

Instead, he/they keep coming up with these 'injuries'.

 

You need to explain your logic on this one. He was replaced by pitchers who have been worse than him. Do you really think the Brewers were giving Suppan a paid vacation while watching their playoff hopes vanish?

[brewizard]

Wow, what a screw job on Hardy. I can't see him ever playing for the team again after this fiasco.

 

I agree.

 

I feel like Amazing Grace. I was blind but now I see.

 

The upper management of the Brewers is really not very good at handling its players.

 

All Hardy wanted during the offseason was some sort of good contract to stay with the Brewers. After the previous two seasons, and the way he played down the stretch, I believe Hardy earned a commitment one way or the other. Hardy or Escobar, Melvin? Hardy or Escobar? Melvin chose both or neither.

 

With the need for pitching so obviously dire, Hardy or Escobar should have been traded high and the team should have committed. By standing pat, I think Hardy's mind got messed with. He and Escobar were trading text messages speculating on which would be traded! I think Hardy has been playing defensively all year - playing not to lose rather than playing to win. I think this has to do with how he's been treated.

 

And now this. Melvin sends down Hardy just to add another year of high-priced slavery to his career so he can put off making the decision for another half a year?

 

Just trade Hardy already. Melvin has now poisoned the well.

[PilprinBuddha]

I have mixed feelings about Hardy.

 

He was horrid this year - that warranted sending him down to AAA. However, the loss of a year of FA is a zinger that could come back to haunt this club. If Hardy is in the long term plans of this team, fences will need to be mended....likely. However, it appears that he will be a piece that the Brewers will look to use to acquire pitching. Unfortunately, this team is in need of CF help, Pitching help (Starting and Relief), and 3B help. That is a bunch of holes for a small market team. We do save Cameron's, Looper's, Hoffman's and Kendell's? money, but holes are everywhere on this team.

 

It will be an interesting off season. I expect to be underwhelmed by the acquistions.

[RockCoCougars]

I hate to turn every thread into a Suppan bashing thread, but why is he immune from this, considering that he's the 'brutallist of them all'?

 

1. If you really hated to do it, you wouldn't do it.

2. He's immune because that's what the rules are.

3. He isn't brutal compared to the pitchers who have been asked to replace him.

1. To me it's relevant because it shows the double standards prevalent in the management of this team. Suppan was 'their guy' and is treated with kid gloves. Hall and Hardy came before, and thus are treated differently.

2. "The rules" applied to Hall as well, but he was asked to go down twice, and accepted on the second ask even though he didn't have to. I'm sure a class act like Suppan wouldn't object to going down to Nashville to make himself better, would he?

3. It's no one's fault but Melvin's for having no one better than Burns to replace Suppan (though Burns is even a slight improvement in my opinion). That shows how terrible the pitching is in this organization. There are plenty of AAAA arms available each winter. At any rate, as I said in the Suppan post, it should be quite easy to find a guy who can replace a 1.75 WHIP. The only pitcher worse with a worse WHIP and 100 innings is Manny Parra (go figure).

[LouisEly]

It's no one's fault but Melvin's for having no one better than Burns to replace Suppan (though Burns is even a slight improvement in my opinion).

 

I'd say that after seven years or so of drafts that Jack Z. certainly is responsible for a good chunk of that.

[LouisEly]

Wow, what a screw job on Hardy. I can't see him ever playing for the team again after this fiasco.

 

Well, if Hardy hadn't stunk up the joint he wouldn't be in this position. Where I work you have to produce to be rewarded - shouldn't that be the case everywhere? It's just as bad, if not worse, to reward poor performance.

[logan82]

"The rules" applied to Hall as well, but he was asked to go down twice, and accepted on the second ask even though he didn't have to. I'm sure a class act like Suppan wouldn't object to going down to Nashville to make himself better, would he?

 

Hall has stunk for almost 3 years now. JJ only had one bad year. The situations are not comparable at all. In fact, they sent JJ down much quicker than Hall.

 

It really doesn't sound like they have made up their mind on Escobar either. Sounds like better than 50/50 odds JJ is the starter from the outset next year.

[PilprinBuddha]

If we could convince Hardy to play 3b, I'd be ecstatic, I just don't think he wants to play there. Escobar is not a significant drop off from Hardy right now and is much cheaper. With the holes on this team heading into FA, we need the $ flexibility to acquire contracts via trade or sign FA's. We need 2 or 3 Looper types as SP's. (Of course that is just my opinion)

[crewcrazy]

Wow, what a screw job on Hardy. I can't see him ever playing for the team again after this fiasco.

Kind of related to this, but I wonder how much of this could be attributed as Hardy's fault. As has been mentioned, he didn't really do himself any favors on the field (in Milwaukee and in Nashville). Not only that, but wasn't there talk an offseason or two ago that Hardy preferred to go year-to-year with arby instead of signing a long-term deal with the Brewers? I wonder how much of this could've been avoided (from his perspective) if he had signed a three or four year deal before this season. Sure, he'd be delaying free agency, but he probably would've been making more money than he's in line for.

[danzig6767]

It's no one's fault but Melvin's for having no one better than Burns to replace Suppan (though Burns is even a slight improvement in my opinion).

 

I'd say that after seven years or so of drafts that Jack Z. certainly is responsible for a good chunk of that.

Maybe so, but Jack also gave Melvin Braun/Fielder/Gallardo/Hardy/Weeks/Hart, he couldn't be expected to draft the whole 25 man roster for Doug.

[brewizard]

but wasn't there talk an offseason or two ago that Hardy preferred to go year-to-year with arby instead of signing a long-term deal with the Brewers?

 

As far as I know, the Brewers have never offered a long-term deal to Hardy. He's been year to year since the beginning. However, Hardy has watched them offer multi-year deals to Hall, Suppan, Riske, Fielder, Braun, Hart, and others. If there was no Escobar, then Hardy would already be on that list. I do believe he has publicly stated his desire to be a long-term Brewer, but has never been offered anything like that.

 

Hardy certainly has not done himself any favors this year though.

[joepepsi]

If there was no Escobar, then Hardy would already be on that list.

Well thank God for Escobar then. If Hardy was signed to a long term deal right now all the armchair GMs would use this as another reason why Melvin should be fired.

[PilprinBuddha]

I'd be happy to have him long term....as a 3B.

[zzzmanwitz]

his bat right now is barely passing for a SS, much less a 3B.

[jeffy]

Wow, what a screw job on Hardy.

Hardly, he got himself into this situation via his poor performance. There is some bad luck involved too, in that they have a viable alternative.

 

It is about time this club stopped treating guys like Hardy, Hart, and Weeks as if they had some inalienable right to a spot on the major league roster.

[trwi7]

I think Hardy is going to be the opening day SS next year, Escobar goes to the minors. Hopefully Hardy has a good first half, gets traded and then Escobar takes over mid season.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Anyone who thinks Escobar won't be the opening day SS next year is just being foolish. The only reason Hardy will come up on Sept. 1 is to get some playing time to hopefully showcase him for a trade. Then he will be gone for whatever Melvin can get this offseason. There is no way Escobar goes back to the minors next year.

[1992casey]

Anyone who thinks Escobar won't be the opening day SS next year is just being foolish.

 

There's a way to word that without insulting the people who think that Hardy could be the opening day shortstop.

[DougJones43]

Great move here. The benefits of locking Hardy up for another year outweigh the potential negative reaction from Hardy or the union, IMO.

[sbrylski]

I think Hardy is going to be the opening day SS next year, Escobar goes to the minors. Hopefully Hardy has a good first half, gets traded and then Escobar takes over mid season.

That's definitely the best case scenario right there. We extend Escobar's service time a year this way as well.

[tyguy20204]

I do agree that J.J. got screwed. The guy was a stellar shortstop for the Brewers the last few years, an All-Star even. Now he has a poor 3/4 of a season and he's sent to the minors and punished by using service-time issues? It's a bad precedent to set. It's not like he's some veteran on the down-slope of his career, he's only 26. Sometimes players struggle, especially if their value is largely based upon slugging and not on-base skills.

 

I'm guessing that Hardy's seemingly poor attitude contributed to Melvin's harsh actions, but still, it IS a harsh action.

[TooLiveBrew]

People gripe that we can't be sure of the opportunities he's had to obtain pitching, but you can't honestly believe there weren't potential moves out there during the past 3-4 years involving one or more of these guys.

 

Not to mention that this is a guy who wasn't willing to work with the organization & consider moving to 3B. Not that I even agree that's the right use of/role for J.J., but I don't know where his pristine image comes from. Hardy has made excuse after excuse for his struggles the past few seasons, and this season did seemingly nothing to change his approach at the plate, which was yielding disastrous results.

 

On the direct topic at hand, I am very glad the Brewers made this decision. I don't at all agree that Hardy was screwed. If anything, J.J.'s poor production screwed Melvin over in depleting his trade value. This might even help Hardy long-term in terms of contract value(s).

 

 

It is about time this club stopped treating guys like Hardy, Hart, and Weeks as if they had some inalienable right to a spot on the major league roster.

 

How does Weeks get dragged into this? He was even sent to AAA, not to mention he was probably the second-best position player we had this year prior to his injury. And Hart had really righted his offense before his appendectomy (iirc), too.