SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter puts it bluntly. He wants to move J.J. Hardy out of the second spot in the lineup. The Orioles shortstop is coming off his best year defensively — and a year he’d like to forget offensively.
In a season where Baltimore surprised and won 93 games, Hardy won his first Gold Glove in the majors. Along with centerfielder Adam Jones and catcher Matt Wieters, Hardy gave the Orioles solid defense — and spotty offense.
Hardy says he looks at last year “as one of the worst offensive seasons I’ve had.”
In 2012, Hardy batted .238 with 22 home runs and 68 RBIs. It was his first year of a three-year $22.25 million contract — an extension he earned during a solid 2011 season.
