NewsTwins get Hardy from Brewers for Gomez
Minnesota shores up infield with addition of shortstop
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
11/06/09 4:10 PM EST
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Hot Stove season has gotten off to a quick start for the Twins. Twins general manager Bill Smith wasted little time addressing one of his club's most critical needs this offseason, acquiring shortstop J.J. Hardy from the Brewers on Friday in exchange for outfielder Carlos Gomez. The addition of Hardy actually accomplished a couple of things for the club. Not only do the Twins now have their starting shortstop for the 2010 season but they have also alleviated a crowded outfield situation. "We're all on board that this guy is a good acquisition for us," Smith said of Hardy. "He's a true shortstop. He's got a strong arm. He's got good range and he's got power. We had one too many outfielders and they had one too many infielders. So it's a good fit." Last season, manager Ron Gardenhire had four everyday outfielders to rotate in three spots in addition to having an outfield option in designated hitter Jason Kubel. Gomez shared time in the Twins outfield with Delmon Young while Gardenhire rotated Denard Span among the three outfield spots. But this move will allow the Twins to keep Young in left field and put Span permanently in his natural position, center field. Hardy, 27, will fill the hole at shortstop left by free agent Orlando Cabrera. Smith said that he called Cabrera on Friday morning to inform him of the trade and that the club would likely not pursue resigning him this offseason. Instead, the club will turn to Hardy, who was an All-Star in 2007 and became just the third shortstop in Brewers history to hit more than 20 home runs in a season twice, joining Robin Young and Jose Hernandez. But Hardy is coming off a disappointing season in which he batted a career-low .229 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs in 115 games for the Brewers. The tough year even included a demotion to Triple-A Nashville in August. "It's one of those seasons that I completely don't want to think about anymore," Hardy said. "It's over. I was happy when it ended. It was just kind of a nightmare year for me." The Brewers had been expected to move Hardy this winter, not necessarily due to his struggles but rather the emergence of their heir apparent at shortstop, Alcides Escobar. When Hardy was demoted, Escobar took over as the Brewers' starting shortstop and batted .304 over the final two months of the season. Hardy said he took it as a sign that his time in Milwaukee had likely ran out. A second-round Draft pick of the Brewers in 2001 and one of the most popular players in Milwaukee, Hardy was put on the trading block in July by the Brewers but they pulled him back off the market when no teams offered anything better than a bullpen arm. "I definitely did know I was going to get traded from the day that they sent me down," Hardy said. "I felt like that was their plan. I didn't know who [I'd be traded] to, but once I got the call this morning I was pretty excited about it. I think the change of scenery will be good for me. " Hardy didn't see much playing time after he rejoined the Brewers on Sept. 1. The timing of his promotion left him two days short of reaching enough service time to qualify for free agency following the 2010 season. As a result, Hardy has an extra year of arbitration, allowing the Twins to hold his rights through the end of the 2011 season. It was something that played a role in the club's decision to make the trade. "To give up Carlos Gomez, where we are going to give up four years of control, it's important to get somebody that we are going to have for more than a year," Smith said. "It's a positive for us to have J.J. Hardy and the ability to keep him for a couple years. We'll see what happens. We might keep him for a lot longer than that." The Twins infield had been largely unsettled prior to the acquisition of Hardy. With Cabrera and third baseman Joe Crede set to enter free agency, the only infield position that appeared settled for the Twins was first base with Justin Morneau firmly entrenched there. Now that the Twins will have Hardy at shortstop, Nick Punto could likely be the club's starting second baseman after finishing the 2009 season at the spot. If not second, Punto could be at third since Smith indicated it's likely Gardenhire will find a spot for Punto in the lineup. Third base is still unsettled. The Twins' top position prospect at Triple-A Rochester last season was third baseman Danny Valencia, but it's unclear whether he'll be ready to start the 2010 season in the Majors. If Valencia is not ready, the club also has internal options for third base in Matt Tolbert and Brendan Harris. Smith didn't rule out the possibility of the Twins exploring outside options for second base or third base. But Hardy's ability to hit for power likely decreases the pressure for them to have to acquire a power-hitting third baseman and Smith acknowledged that the club feels comfortable having four in-house options in Punto, Tolbert, Harris and Alexi Casilla to fill the two open infield positions. "Right now we have four guys that can fill the void at second and third and utility spots," Smith said. "That puts us in a good spot." For the Brewers, Gomez will give them a center fielder to replace free agent Mike Cameron. Gomez came to the Twins as the primary component of the February 2008 trade that sent Johan Santana to the Mets. And the speedy center fielder had a solid, if not spectacular, first year with Minnesota, hitting .258 with 59 RBIs, 79 runs scored and 33 stolen bases last season. But Gomez saw his playing time diminished in 2009. After starting off the year as the primary center fielder, he batted only .195 through the season's first month and was primarily used as a late-inning defensive replacement toward the end of the season. The 23-year-old batted .229 with three home runs and 28 RBIs in 137 games for the Twins in '09. Smith said that it's a risk to trade away a young player like Gomez, who possesses raw skills and has yet to fully develop, but that it was one the club was willing to take in order to help clear up the outfield logjam and add a shortstop like Hardy. "I know we put Gardy in a tough spot this year and all the players," Smith said. "It's tough when you have five guys who need to play every day and you can play only four of them including the DH. I tip my cap to Carlos because he always has been team first. ... But this was an opportunity for us to take something where we have some depth and fill a hole."Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
