J.J. Hardy batted .229 with 11 homers and 47 RBIs over 414 at-bats this past season.
Hardy is coming off the worst season of his career, a long fall for a 2007 All-Star and a cornerstone of the Brewers' resurgence since 2005. That opened the door for prospect Alcides Escobar, who left no doubt that he's ready to handle shortstop duties, hitting .298 with 42 stolen bases at Triple-A Nashville before continuing that success in Milwaukee after Hardy's Aug. 12 demotion. The Brewers will try to trade Hardy this winter, but they will get nothing close to what they could have fetched a year ago or even ahead of the 2009 Trade Deadline.