Second baseman Orlando Hudson is set to reach free agency after the 2008 season, with Mark Ellis as the strongest alternative in his class. Hudson will be 31 for the ’09 season and figures to get a deal averaging at least $7MM. Baseball Prospectus’ numbers say a fair value four-year pact would be around $25MM. But Hudson is significantly better than Luis Castillo, who recently received that deal from the Mets. Hudson should easily pass $30MM on a four-year deal.
Perhaps only Aaron Hill can rival Hudson’s second base defense. Hudson is no slouch with the bat either, though his splits show a large boost from Chase Field. He’s still not an easy player to replace. The D’Backs can afford Hudson, but their willingness to pony up the cash for him is unknown. For his part, Hudson says he wants to finish his career in Arizona.
