According to a Major League source close to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports, the Baltimore Orioles want to discuss a contract extension with J.J. Hardy before the season is over.

Hardy, who was sidelined for almost a month with a strained left oblique has become a favorite of manager Buck Showalter and his staff adds Rosenthal.

“The game never catches him by surprise,” one Orioles official says. “He shows up, you ask him a question, he gives the right answer. And he tells (teammates) the right things instead of what they want to hear.”

Hardy was traded to the Orioles from the Twins back in December. He is earning $5.85 million in his final season before free agency and according to Rosenthal he could be a perfect two-year bridge to Class-A shortstop Manny Machado.

The 28-year old is hitting .287/.363/.473 with 6 HR’s and 19 RBI’s in 129 AB’s for the Orioles this season.

Image by Keith Allison under the Creative Commons License.