masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgA couple of readers have asked about and offered opinions about J.J. Hardy and his defense at shortstop.

Here is what Andy MacPhail said about Hardy’s defense:

“We like his defense. If you look at those UZR ratings, he is very top of the chart. We think he’ll provide us more offense and he is a good defender.”

Is he as good as Cesar Izturis?

“You know it depends. Izzy was so solid for us and JJ is as well.”

You characterized first base yesterday as still being deep in options, but…A couple of readers have asked about and offered opinions about J.J. Hardy and his defense at shortstop.

Here is what Andy MacPhail said about Hardy’s defense:

“We like his defense. If you look at those UZR ratings, he is very top of the chart. We think he’ll provide us more offense and he is a good defender.”

Is he as good as Cesar Izturis?

“You know it depends. Izzy was so solid for us and JJ is as well.”

You characterized first base yesterday as still being deep in options, but aren’t most gone by now?

“Remember, there are two parts to that. There are also other options within, or different ways with bodies moving around to solve that issue. We thought we attacked in the order it needed to be attacked with supply and demand.”

Pretty sure with that comment he means attacked all their needs in a certain order, not necessarily just first base.

MacPhail on how much better the Red Sox got with Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford:

“We can only do what we can do. We have to know who we are and how we are going to try to attack it. Do those things that we can do to make ourselves better and try to sustain the momentum that we had the last two months of the season. It is what it is. They were a good team last year and just got ravaged with injuries and they’ll be a force this year.”