NLDS Game 4 SF @ ATL thread

[tzill]

I like this roster. If Jhonny Peralta can be had cheaper than J.J. Hardy, I would be fine with that signing as well.

Peralta would be the other guy I'd check out. To me, both he and Hardy are interchangeable -- but I haven't seen either play very much.

 

[Heathbar012]

Peralta would be the other guy I'd check out. To me, both he and Hardy are interchangeable -- but I haven't seen either play very much.

In my opinion, they're about the same defensively with Peralta having slightly better range and Hardy having the better arm. At the plate, Hardy has been getting back to what they expected him to be in Milwaukee. He'll bat around .270 while Peralta will be closer to .250. Hardy's home run totals are steadily slipping whereas Peralta has maintained 15 homer power. That said, OPS is pretty much identical with Hardy at .714 this year and Peralta averaged out to .704 (with Peralta playing 148 games to Hardy's 101).Neither steals bags, but in the games I've seen, Peralta is the better first to third guy.

As far as age, Peralta is a little older and Hardy is just about to enter that magic age of 28 (read an article that showed that the best years statistically for position players usually happens when they're 28, and it was right before Aurilia's only great year at that same age).

Hardy would definitely be the better player. The only thing that worries me is his health and price tag. He hasn't played more than 115 games in either of the last two seasons, yet has been getting a steady pay raise through arbitration every year. The lack of games could be due to Cabrera taking starts from him this year. However, Peralta is due for a team option at $7 mil, and if the Tigers don't pick that up, I would assume he would be looking for something comparable. It appears all three of Hardy, Peralta and Uribe will be getting something in the neighborhood of $6 mil per year with the younger guys likely demanding more years.

Bottom line, you're right, it looks like Hardy is the best choice. By replacing Uribe with Hardy, the Giants would be sacrificing power for plate discipline and slightly better range in the field at a possibly, slightly higher cost.