JJ Hardy

Now that everyone is starting to calm down over the initial reports of dealing fan-favorite Carlos Gomez for JJ Hardy, it's time to evaluate the trade from several angles.

This trade from a Twins perspective is good. While Gomez is one of the best defensive outfielders in the league, he yielded playing time in center field to Denard Span and when Delmon Young started hitting late in the season, Gomez saw seldom playing time.

The day that many Brewer fans have been waiting on for over a year has finally arrived. JJ Hardy was traded by the Brewers to the Minnesota Twins on Friday for centerfielder Carlos Gomez.

All along it was thought Hardy would be traded for a starting pitcher, but Brewers' GM Doug Melvin obviously had other ideas. Getting a non-pitcher for Hardy is very surprising to most, but Melvin undoubtedly has more moves in his arsenal to improve the team.

According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (click here to view the post), the Milwaukee Brewers have traded J.J. Hardy to the Minnesota Twins for Carlos Gomez.

The move is surprising, in the sense that it was heavily thought that the Brewers would move Hardy in exchange for pitching, which they desperately need. Center field, however, was another void considering Mike Cameron is a free agent.

That didn’t take long at all.

On Friday morning, the Milwaukee Brewers traded shortstop J.J. Hardy to the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Carlos Gomez.

Gomez likely has the inside track to replace free agent Mike Cameron in center field for Milwaukee and doesn't turn 24 until December. He batted only .229 last year but is one of the fastest players in all of baseball.

The Twins and Brewers have reportedly agreed to a trade that would send Carlos Gomez to Milwaukee in exchange for JJ Hardy.

Expectations for the 2009 season were sky-high for the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite the departure of CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, many felt the Brewers would still compete for a playoff spot after successfully making the playoffs in 2008.

Unfortunately, the starting rotation assembled my Brewers GM Doug Melvin didn't perform up to expectations. The team fell on hard times due to injury and ineffectiveness, and the team slipped to third in the division with an 80-82 record.

By now it has become common knowledge even among the most novice Milwaukee Brewer fan that JJ Hardy will be dealt this offseason. Alcides Escobar has been groomed to become the starter, and the job will be his from day one in 2010.

Hardy had an awful 2009, that saw him demoted in August to Triple-A. He spent enough time in the minors that his service time this year won't count towards his free agency eligibility, so whichever team trades for him will have his services for two years and not one.

Mat Gamel or Matt LaPorta? That was the question facing Milwaukee Brewers' GM Doug Melvin last season when it became clear that the Brewers were the front runner to obtain pitcher CC Sabathia.

Melvin and the Indians agreed to send Matt LaPorta to Cleveland and the Brewers made the playoffs for the first time in 26 years. Mat Gamel, along with Alcides Escobar, became 1A and 1B in the farm system's top prospect ratings.