4:21PM: Hardy has indeed officially elected to become a free agent, as per a team announcement.
1:50PM: The Tigers have placed left-hander Blaine Hardy on outright waivers, as per MLB.com’s Jason Beck (Twitter link). The move all but officially ends Hardy’s tenure in the Motor City, as he will become a free agent if he goes unclaimed on the waiver wire. On his personal Twitter feed, Hardy bid his farewells to the Tigers organization, fans, and the city of Detroit after seven seasons in the fold.
Hardy posted a 4.47 ERA, 2.23 K/BB rate, 48.5% grounder rate and 5.9 K/9 over 44 1/3 relief innings in 2019, just about all the while battling left flexor tendinitis. The elbow issues resulted in a two-week injured list stint early in the season, and then Hardy’s year came to a premature end after he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in mid-August.
The abbreviated campaign was expected to result in a non-tender for Hardy, who was projected to earn $1.8MM via the arbitration process this winter. The early release will give the 32-year-old a bit of an early jump on the rest of the market as he looks for a new contract. While Hardy’s tweet sounded like a pretty definitive end to his time in Detroit, a return (at a lower price) probably shouldn’t be entirely ruled out, given how the rebuilding Tigers will be looking for low-cost pitching answers in both the rotation and bullpen.
Hardy has a 3.73 ERA, 2.25 K/BB rate, and 7.1 K/9 over 289 2/3 career innings, all in a Tigers uniform. He has worked as a reliever in all but 13 of his 233 career games, though all of those starts came in 2018, perhaps making him more attractive to a new team looking to add a swingman or a “featured pitcher” (behind an opener) to its 2020 pitching mix.
I hope he returns as a NRI but am not optimistic about it. He actually, before his injury, was the best lefty out of the pen for the Tigers and did a decent job as a spot starter.
Does this mean we won’t be playing guys who be in double a all year next year?
Decent pitcher. Should get NRI somewhere with a chance to make the team
Blaine Hardy’s SO:BB rate is too low now for his high HR:IP rate. Some other team will sign him to a MiLB contract. Maybe he will pitch better for a team that doesn’t need to get 4 outs per inning..
definitely worth a shot for any contender in need of bullpen health. he was a decent swingman just a year ago
Sounds like a “Brewers claim Hardy” post is coming soon lol
Astros Fire Taubman… sorry about the censorship, yes you own the medium, but it is censorship nonetheless. Just be honest about it.
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its a private site. you’ll get over it buddy.
Honestly I wish they kept comments open in those articles because every time the close them these other posts get these comments anyway. Better to contain all that cancer in that post. Just my thought.
No one is making you be a part of this “Censorship”, right?
It’s a fact. And maybe your little brain can entertain to simultaneous thoughts 1) yes it’s private site and yes it’s censorship.
no, that’s how it works. this isnt the government not allowing you to have an opinion. a private site can do this, but it’s no sort of suppression of speach at all. is the site the only place you can talk about the issue? go to social media. go to another site where the issue is relevant. go speak on the radio. go make a blog. you have opportunities to speak, but not having it in one specific location does not qualify as censorship. its called playing it safe and avoiding fights.
Sounds like Davy needs his blankie and a nap.
NYM minor league deal candidate
He was the best starter for the Tigers in 2018. The only reason he had so few (if any) starts in 2019 was because of his shoulder problem. I’d love to see him back in Detroit, assuming he would be back to full health.
The Astros will take him, and make him an all star.