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

[Diskono]

On a side note it will be really interesting to see if JJ is in the lineup tonight for Nashville. They play a late game tonight, he will have plenty of time to get there but I have to assume he will not be playing tonight. The Sounds have a day off tomorrow so Hardy would not play until Friday but my gut tells me there is a chance he is moved by then.

McCalvy has a new blog up, JJ says he's really excited about getting a few days off and thinks that he really needed a rest. Then he made a golf analogy.

 

http://brewersbeat.mlblog...hardy_felt_demotion.html

[kramnoj]

I like the move. I don't think this kills Hardy's trade value any more than this season already has diminished it. Bring Escobar up and let him audition for the 2010 job. If he performs well, he should be the starter and be an asset for the Brewers next year. If he doesn't perform well, then Melvin knows he should make other plans for 2010. Maybe have Heether and Counsell share the job, maybe bring in a veteran SS for a stopgap until Escobar really is ready or passes the service time threshold.

 

Melvin is trying to save the season. It's probably lost anyway, but he owes the fans competitive baseball. It's not unheard of for players to come in and do unexpectedly well. Take a chance on Escobar and see if he can give the team a spark. Today was probably the last day that Melvin could reasonably do this to get that extra year of service time out of Hardy.

[Mase]

I need a question answered please...

 

If a player passes through waivers or is claimed by another team, can he only be traded for another major league player who has also passed through waivers or minor league players?

[Never Outhustled]

The point X is making is that the Brewers are adding 2 months to Escobar's service time for no real reason.

I got that. If he's the opening day SS in 2010, or 2011, 2 extra weeks of service time either way doesn't cost us a full season service

Why couldn't he be called up midseason 2010? If Hardy gains a year of service time, does he have to be dalt this offseason without even knowing what the offers are yet? Or, couldn't Counsel just platoon with somebody at SS until Escobar hits a little better in AAA? What's so bad about a young player playing at AAA?

[Postseason2006]

Does this mean the end of the non-stop talk that Hardy was the team's MVP?

[logan82]

Optional Waivers

Optional major league waivers are required when optioning a player who has options remaining but who is more than three calendar years removed from his first appearance on a Major League roster. Because optional waivers are revocable, players usually clear in this scenario Link

 

I am pretty sure Hardy would have had to clear waivers to go down.

[Fatter than Joey]

If a player passes through waivers or is claimed by another team, can he only be traded for another major league player who has also passed through waivers or minor league players

 

He could be traded for a PTBNL, but essentially you are correct

[cwolf2012]

Does this mean the end of the non-stop talk that Hardy was the team's MVP?

Has anyone considered him the MVP of this season or mentioned it?

 

Does what happened this year take away from the amazing season he had last year?

[jeffy]

McCalvy has a new blog up, JJ says he's really excited about getting a few days off and thinks that he really needed a rest. Then he made a golf analogy.

He also says it's Macha's fault for not giving him some days off:

I think three days off would have been all I needed, and I've been going out there every single day and doing what they've asked me to do."

 

Hardy conceded that he never approached manager Ken Macha and asked for a break.

 

"Who am I to tell Macha what the lineup should be and who should be playing?" Hardy said.

[RobDeer 45]

All I have to say is holy crap!

[DougJones43]

Strange comments by Hardy. I can't think of many young guys that ask for 3 days off during the stretch run, unless they're hurt. Didn't he just have 3 days off for the all-star break? I know he certainly wasn't selected to play in it.

[sheethead]

He also says it's Macha's fault for not giving him some days off:

I think three days off would have been all I needed, and I've been going out there every single day and doing what they've asked me to do."

 

Hardy conceded that he never approached manager Ken Macha and asked for a break.

 

"Who am I to tell Macha what the lineup should be and who should be playing?" Hardy said.

Wow, poor JJ was being played too often. While some players relish in being a mainstay in the lineup, JJ says he needed a break. Maybe he would have more energy if he stopped partying so much? Sounds like whining to me.

[Never Outhustled]

I think three days off would have been all I needed, and I've been going out there every single day and doing what they've asked me to do."

 

Hardy conceded that he never approached manager Ken Macha and asked for a break.

 

"Who am I to tell Macha what the lineup should be and who should be playing?" Hardy said.

Wow, Hardy is the king of all excuses.

[Postseason2006]

Guys like Hanley Ramirez and Elvis Andrus did not put up great numbers in the minors but had success early on in the majors so why cant Escobar do the same.

 

Andrus has a 684 OPS in a hitters paradise. Thats terrible. He belongs in AAA competing against Escobar.

 

How about Jose Reyes?

[sheethead]

Just when you thought Hardy couldn't hurt his trade value any further...

[Fatter than Joey]

I am pretty sure Hardy would have had to clear waivers to go down.

 

Optional waivers are different from August trade waivers.

[wibadgers23]

I wonder if Escobar and Bourgeois makes it to Milwaukee in time for tonight's game.

[endaround]

Jose Reyes was terrible in his first full season. And the idiot who kept batting him leadoff despite his .300 OBP now is employed by your Milwaukee Brewers.

[Postseason2006]

Does this mean the end of the non-stop talk that Hardy was the team's MVP?

Has anyone considered him the MVP of this season or mentioned it?

 

Does what happened this year take away from the amazing season he had last year?

 

I guess people's idea of amazing and consistently good differ?

[Brewer Fever]

Anyone consider the possibility that the Brewers did this today so that when rosters expand on September 1st, JJ will have fallen under the "20 days or less in the minors" provision. By my math, JJ still gets his service year as long as he's called back up on 9/1. Yes, it's bad business not doing this one day sooner, but I don't think the Brewers want the bad reputation that comes with robbing players of a service year.

[sheethead]

Does what happened this year take away from the amazing season he had last year?

 

Amazing might be an overshoot, but yeah, it takes away a bit.

[sheethead]

Yes, it's bad business not doing this one day sooner, but I don't think the Brewers want the bad reputation that comes with robbing players of a service year.

 

While I agree with this sentiment, JJ Hardy has robbed fans of a certain amount of enjoyment this year. I would not feel bad for him in this case, especially since he continues to tie the organizations hands by killing his trade value through stinky play.

[homer]

Wow, Hardy is the king of all excuses.

Agreed. That's weak.

[Brewer Fever]

Yes, it's bad business not doing this one day sooner, but I don't think the Brewers want the bad reputation that comes with robbing players of a service year.

 

While I agree with this sentiment, JJ Hardy has robbed fans of a certain amount of enjoyment this year. I would not feel bad for him in this case, especially since he continues to tie the organizations hands by killing his trade value through stinky play.

It really has nothing to do with Hardy. It has all to do with they way your organization is perceived. If the Brewers had made this move yesterday to push back Hardy's FA by one year, the black mark it would have given them with agents and players would probably prove more costly than any gain made by putting off JJ's free agency.

[logan82]

I think Hardy played to much this year. I think Macha plays most of his starters to much.