THE NEXT YANKEE SHORTSTOP WON'T BE JJ HARDY

There was talk, banter and chatter that JJ Hardy would be a good addition to the Yankees now that Derek Jeter had retired.  In fact, for a moment there, it seemed like a neat idea. Hardy didn't shy away from it either. The New York Post wrote just a few weeks ago:

"Hardy will be a free agent and is not surprisingly aware of the upcoming job opening at shortstop.

'Of course I’ve heard it,' Hardy said before Jeter began his final series at Yankee Stadium. 'It’s not something I can look into the future and see what’s going to happen. I’ve just got to focus on helping our team right now and obviously the playoff this year. But if it comes to it, I’ll have to think about it more.'

And since he’s not about to be the first prospective free agent to declare he has no interest in the Yankees’ money, Hardy said he would listen if they called.

'Of course,' Hardy said."

In that report, Hardy also said Baltimore was his first choice.

Well now, there's news:

Sources: #Orioles close with shortstop J.J. Hardy on extension, believed to be three years with an option, north of $40 million.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 9, 2014

So there you have it. Hardy won't be a Yankee.  The shortstop position is wide open. Weird, right?

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