Bartlett out; Hardy in? (updated)

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

December 08, 2010, 10:48am

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Following word that trade talks for Jason Barlett were "dead," the Orioles are trying to finalize a deal with Twins shortstop J.J. Hardy. Backing a report in The Sun, an industry source confirmed that the Orioles are engaged in serious talks for Hardy, though a deal might not be completed today. You know how easily these things can fall apart, so don't get your hopes up until it's final. At least Nolan Reimold's name hasn't come up in talks. Hardy hit 50 home runs with the Brewers over the 2007 and 2008 seasons, but he's struggled to stay healthy and made two trips to the disabled list this season. He played in 101 games with the Twins in 2010 and batted .268 with six homers, 38 RBIs and a .714 OPS. You could argue that he's another player in decline that the Orioles would be gambling on, but he'd present a clear offensive upgrade over Cesar Izturis. As you know, the Orioles would still like to re-sign Izturis, and he would provide much-needed insurance behind Hardy and Brian Roberts. Update: Jumping topics in a major way, the Orioles have issued a statement regarding Luke Scott's comments in a radio interview yesterday pertaining to President Obama: "Luke Scott's comments do not reflect the opinion of the Baltimore Orioles organization. The fact is that Barack Obama is our President, duly elected by the people of the United States. End of story."