Baltimore Orioles: Hardy or Beckham? Who should play shortstop?

Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy is still on the disabled list with his right wrist fracture, but he is expected to return very soon.

Since the Baltimore Orioles signed shortstop Tim Beckham at the Trade Deadline, a small problem has arisen.

The Orioles needed a shortstop, but it is safe to say they did not expect Beckham to do what he has since his first game. With Beckham’s success, Hardy might not see another start at the position when he does return to the team. Or the two could platoon, as Beckham has been too hot to sit.

Contracts vary dramatically

Hardy is in a unique position at the end of 2017. He has a $2 million buy out if the Orioles decide that they do not want him. According to Baseball Reference, the $2 million option is “guaranteed based on plate appearances or if traded.” If the O’s decide to keep him, he gets $14 million.

BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 01: Tim Beckham /

Then, there’s Tim Beckham. He was making $885K with the Tampa Bay Rays and was under team control until 2021. Now, the Orioles have that contract with him. He is eligible for arbitration in 2018 and few players end up making $14 million during those years. Beckham is a bargain.

Eight year age difference

Hardy is rare shortstop at almost 35 years of age. On most teams, the shortstop is the youngster. Despite being one of the oldest current shortstops, Hardy finished 2016 with the second highest fielding position in the AL after Jose Iglesias with the Detroit Tigers.

Beckham is only 27 years old, which puts him in line with the other young players topping the shortstop list. At the top is Carlos Correa (who is on the DL), but managed to hit .320 before his injury. He is only 22. Jean Segura is in second with an average of .315 – he’s 27. Didi Gregorius, Andrelton Simmons, and Jose Iglesias are all 27 years old. These young shortstops are in their prime – like Beckham, and they have several more years to keep producing.

Batting slashes

While Hardy has dominated defensively, his hitting has not. He three Gold Gloves in 2012, ’13, and ’14. He did earn a Silver Slugger in 2013, which also happened to be one of his two All-Star seasons. His career batting slash is .256/.305/.408 with an OPS of .714. His 2017 slash in 239 plate appearances is no where near his career numbers: .211/.248/.308 and .556.

Contrast that with Beckham’s numbers since arriving in Baltimore. Yes, defense is important. But, its the runs that win games. Landing on base is vital to any team’s success. Beckham only has four Major League seasons under his belt, but his career batting stats are .263/.313/.451 with an OPS of .764. He gets on base more often that Hardy does.

And, his current stats with Baltimore are unbelievable and most likely won’t last: .491/.509/.868 with an OPS of 1.377. With the batting improvements he has shown since arriving in Baltimore, Beckham is currently ranked #6 shortstop in the AL with his season batting average of .292.

After going four for five on August 12 against the Oakland Athletics, he finally came back to earth on the 13th with his first hit-less game – also against the A’s. In his 13 games with the O’s, he has only had 4 games without multiple hits.

Defensive differences

Hardy is an outstanding shortstop. There is no denying it. In his 13 seasons, he has a career fielding percentage of .983. He has never made more than 15 errors in a season and the last time he had more than 10 errors was in 2014.

Beckham, on the other hand, is not as strong defensively as Hardy is. Beckham’s career fielding percentage is .962. He already has three errors at short with the O’s and he had nine with the Rays in 2017, too. But, with 12 errors on the season, he is far from leading the league. Xander Bogaerts and Elvis Andrus – who both have better batting stats than Beckham also have more errors in the field. And, Segura has the same number of errors as Beckham.

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There is no doubt that Buck Showalter has a serious decision to make as Hardy’s wrist heals. He is working out with the team and working with Beckham on defensive skills. If Beckham’s bat can stay hot and he keeps working on his defensive skills, then Hardy might have to find a new team for the 2018 season.

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