Liriano for Hardy!

I realize that Bill Smith may be a little trigger shy after he traded away a very promising young arm (Garza) for a promising young power hitter (Young) - remember at the time, Harris for Bartlett was considered a wash and it was basically a Garza for Young deal with other minor leaguers involved as well - but Liriano needs a change of scenery. He'll have a great start (like his last one (7 IP, 1 ER, 8 K, 3 H), and then have a start where he throws 100 pitches in 4 or 5 innings and give up around 5 runs. He seems like he is in the same boat as Garza, where the coaching staff just gets frusterated start after start with him.

Why the Brewers would do it

The Brewers have Alcides Escobar who was already tabbed as the shortstop of the future last offseason and the Brewers were trying to decide whether to trade Hardy or move him to third, before deciding to keep Escobar in the minors. With Hardy struggling at the plate this year (but still excelling in the field - UZR around 8), the Brewers decided the future is now and replaced Hardy with Escobar. This move actually kills any leverage that the Brewers had when they are involved with trade discussions around Hardy as they have him in AAA instead of moving him to third base. It shows that they do not value him as high, and now may not get much in return. The Brewers are desperate for pitching (probably more desperate than the Twins) and would love to attempt to try and resurrect Liriano's career.

Why the Twins would do it

The Nick Punto love affair has got to end. Punto was even quoted in the Pioneer Press as saying "You're only as good as your weakest link ... and I'm just not playing good enough right now." If the Twins acquired Hardy, they would have a legit shortstop who can actually "pick-it" (see UZR of around 8 http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3797&position=SS#fielding and was 3rd in +/- rating in 2008) who also has some offensive value (hit .283 with 24 HRs in 2008). Also, with a rookie 3B - Danny Valencia - that you do not know what kind of production you would get, it would be nice to have a shortstop who has spent a couple years in the majors and has had a history of decent production. I did also hear on the radio that Hardy and Mauer are good friends, not sure how true that is, but if they were it would definitely help out the contract negotiations.

Why the Brewers would not do it

If Escobar struggles the rest of this year and/or the Brewers do not find a decent candidate for third base, then Hardy could take over either of those spots if he can regain some of his old offensive form. If Hardy stays in the minors a couple more weeks, then he will not be eligible to become a free agent until after the 2011 season, which would give the Brewers at the least a very solid bench option.

Why the Twins would not do it

Like I wrote in the opening of this post, Bill Smith might be trigger shy after his past moves - especially after dealing a pitcher for a power hitter. If Liriano regains his form during the last 2 months, then the Twins would probably be forced to keep Liriano based on the way the rest of the pitching staff has been this summer. Looking at the season as a whole however, it seems like that is a long shot. If Liriano continues to be inconsistent, the coaching staff may not stay patient and a trade could happen this offseason.