Orioles sign shortstop J.J. Hardy to a three-year contract extension with an option for 2018

By Josh Land

Orioles

October 09, 2014, 1:53pm

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The Orioles today announced that they have signed shortstop J.J. Hardy to a three-year contract extension with an option for 2018. Hardy, 32, joined the Orioles in 2011 and has won two Gold Gloves and leads all major league shortstops with 86 home runs in that time. He was also voted the American League's starting shortstop in the 2013 All-Star Game and won the Silver Slugger Award that year. In 2014, Hardy ranked 7th among all AL players in Defensive bWAR (2.1) and led AL shortstops in Total Zone Runs (14) and was 2nd in Range Factor/Game (4.12). He also ranked 2nd among AL shortstops with 99 double plays turned, was 3rd in fielding percentage (.978) and assists (394), and 5th in putouts (187). He has been in the top-5 in the AL in putouts, assists, double plays turned, Total Zone Runs, and fielding percentage as a shortstop in each of the last three seasons. Since 2011, Hardy ranks 2nd among all shortstops with 276 RBI and is in the top-10 in games (587), at-bats (2,320), runs (283), hits (600), doubles (112), and OPS (.720).