Last offseason was disappointing for second baseman Orlando Hudson. He signed with the Dodgers on February 20th, accepting one year and a $3.38MM guarantee. He had a decent '09 season, managing to stay healthy and hit most of his incentives. Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports have the latest on Hudson's search for a new team.
The Nationals and Rays are known to be pursuing Hudson, with the Nats possibly offering more money. The writers say a mystery team is also in the mix, and speculate on the Twins. The Rockies could be another match, but Minnesota and Colorado would be looking for a bargain.
ESPN's Buster Olney first reported the Rays' interest in Hudson yesterday, but Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times finds a signing unlikely. And in an interview with MLB.com's Bill Ladson, Hudson alluded to the Indians and Padres. Those clubs are considered longshots.
please be cubs
The Rays won’t sign him because of Zobrist, and by ignoring offers from the Nationals for the past 2 years, he’s made it pretty clear he doesn’t want to play there. I think the Cubs could jump out and sign him, but I think it’s more likely he will sig with the Twins.
Hope you’re right..
Ditto here.
Please
I have heard that the Cubs are interested in Hudson too. Also in kennedy and Park, still interested in Calero as well.
The Cubs need to forget about Kiko Calero and Chan Ho Park and use that money towards Hudson.
Would the Cubs save Fonenot’s money if they flat out released him?
i don’t believe they would save money since they already tendered him a contract for $1MM. the cubs still need to sign marmol, theriot and marshall i believe. fontenot should have a little trade value and maybe it’s just enough for an A-level player or something… either way, i would sign hudson and keep fontenot through the spring as insurance in case hudson were to get hurt. if all is well with hudson, deal him to one of the teams that lost out on hudson…
right when i posted this it was announced on MLBTR that marshall just signed, btw
Hudson’s recent comments have looked much less like he is ignoring the Nats. I don’t dismiss that he might be holding out for a better chance to contend, but DC seems to be a more enticing destination under Mike Rizzo than Jim Bowden. I really hope the Nats sign him, but I am used to disappointment.
Positively Half St.
I don’t know much about Hudson at all, if he’s a money hound or where his hometown is or any of that stuff. But most guys at his time of life, arranging possibly the last good contract of the career, are torn between getting a big paycheck and winning a ring. Last year was his first post-season experience and he knows that middle infielders go away in their early thirties, so the temptation to jump to the AL Central’s easier playoff path might be pretty strong. If the Nats lowball him it probably wouldn’t take much for MN to sweep him away.
This Twins fan is hoping your right, but with the team signing Thome, I just don’t see the Twins spending anywhere near enough to land Hudson.
Dude!! You’re preaching to the choir. Gardy and Smith are the ones that need to read these posts. Hudson and Lopez have been my first and second choices all winter.
Unfortunately, I think the 5 million they offered Washburn was the absolute max they were willing to add to the team payroll this winter. Subtract the 1.5 million plus incetives they just gave Thome and they have about 2.75 million left out of that original 5 million.
What’s out there that they need and can get for 2.75 million? Certainly not Hudson and probably not Lopez either.
I’m thinking they call it a winter and go into spring training with what they have.
Oh, and sometime between now and opening day, they annoucing Mauers new deal.
Hudson would be a perfect fit on the Twins. He would finally be that solid #2 hitter to set the table for Mauer/Morneau along with Span’s nifty OBP. Hudson’s defense is probly better than the metrics but not quite GG caliber – so its somewhere in the solid but not spectacular range. Putting that #2 hitter at second base would allow the Twins to put a great defender like Punto at 3B with Harris and Valencia pressing for playing time in the 9th spot. Punto at third would also allow for a great PH opportunity for Thome once a game because you can just put Harris at third after the PH and not skip a beat.
1. Span CF
2. Hudson SB (breaks up the lefties)
3. Mauer C
4. Morneau 1B
5. Cuddyer RF
6. Kubel DH
7. Young LF
8. Hardy SS
9. Punto/Harris/Valencia 3B (Thome PHing often)
Looks solid to me.
i want hudson on the cubs for all of the same reasons you just pointed out…
1. Theriot ss
2. Hudson 2b (to break up the righties…)
3. Lee 1b
4. Ramirez 3b
5. Byrd cf
6. Soriano lf
7. Fukudome/Nady rf
8. Soto c
then Jeff Baker can head into a super-utility role to give Hudson and Ramirez days off and keep them fresh…
You know the twins better than a lot of twins fans do! If he is ok with 5-6 mil a year i could see him in a twins uni, but if it gets much higher than that i wouldn’t count on it.
Gasp. The Twins would actually try to acquire a semblance of 2-Hole hitter for 2b? Id be impressed.
CF- Span
2b – Hudson
C- Mauer
1b – Morneau
RF- Cuddyer
DH – Kubel/Thome
SS – Hardy
LF – Young/Kubel
3B – Punto
With no real second base solution on its way, I could see the Twins going two years, provided the second year is at a higher salary than the first. He’s not getting $9MM in 2010… not from the Twins or anyone else. I can’t even see anyone paying him $6MM in 2010. What teams with needs at second base have $6MM to spend on that one spot alone? I can’t think of any.
Am I crazy for thinking if a team even offered Hudson two years and $10MM-$11MM that it’d be a good deal for him at this point?
I can’t see the Twins backloading anything to 2011, as they’re really in deep there already. I wouldn’t be surprised if they haven’t been able to land anyone so far because they’re limiting themselves to one-year deals.
Twins will have to up Mauer’s salary for 2011 obviously (if he’s extended, that’s an assumption I’m making, but let’s save that debate for another time), but still this coming off the books:
Pavano: $7MM
Punto: $4MM
Guerrier: $3.15MM
Rauch: $2.9MM
Crain: $2MM
Thome: $1.5MM
Condrey: $900K
That’s $21.5MM coming off the books. Guaranteed raises right now consist of:
Cuddyer: $2MM
Baker: $2MM
Kubel (assuming option is exercised): $1.15MM
That’s about $16.5MM left for next offseason. Even if you assume the same payroll and an $8MM boost in Mauer’s salary, there’s $8.5MM left for arbitration-eligible players, and, in the proposed scenario, a bump in Hudson’s salary.
I realize that leaves limited funds for free agency, but a lot of the necessary pieces will already be in place. Plus, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that the payroll could rise closer to $100MM with Target Field in place. Just my thoughts on the issue.
Yeah, like there’s any chance they don’t pick up Punto’s option.I have them estimated at $97M for 2011, and that’s assuming Mauer only gets $20M, Valencia is the 3B, and they don’t spend any extra money on the bullpen, where only Nathan, Neshek, and whichever of Liriano/Duensing ends up there are returning, or bring in a veteran starter. Pretty sure it’s going to end up in the $110 range even without adding anyone now.
Edit: and Mijares, duh.
If Valencia or Harris play well they won’t pick up his option
thats money saved
You’re forgeting about all the younsters going through their 1st and 2nd years of arbitration. Even if they do nothing but sign Mauer, the budget is bound to top 100 million all by itself.
I’ll bet Hudson has offers like that on the table already. He is going to have to take one of them soon, hopefully going to the Cubs or Twins.
I’m so happy my Mets are sticking with Castillo. So much for Mets applying business concept of sunk cost. They keep ignoring their mistake, Why continue to justify a mistake? He has no range and is a shadow of his former defensive self. He has no power. Can’t drive in any runs. Steals 20 bases but just doesn’t hit enough. He is so overpaid. Other teams release/dump bad contracts except the Mets. Hudson wants to be a Met. We are a joke
Sign Hudson. Trade for Lowell to play 3B. IMO, that’d be the 2nd best lineup in the AL.
It would probably be either or, unless the red sox eat almost all of lowells contract.
Either or anyway, I imagine, since they don’t have the bench space to carry both Punto and Harris there anymore.
Good point, and signing Harris to a 2 year deal sure decreases the chances that Punto will be back next year. Of course ya never know, Gardy could threaten to retire if nicky isnt back with him.
i am probably the only cubs fan that would give hudson a two year deal. i would be skeptical of ‘super prospect’ starlin castro really being ready this season… things like that don’t seem to happen for the cubs. the only position players of their farm system that have made a noticeable impact recently are theriot and soto. so have a theriot/hudson combo up the middle this year. next year, when castro is ready for shortstop, you can entertain trade offers for theriot or hudson. this year is our biggest chance to win and giving hudson two years may be necessary. and that’s not the worst case scenario. he’s a gamer and a great clubhouse presence.
I really hope the Twins get Hudson. Give him a 2 year deal…I have no problems with that.
No reason they shouldn’t do that
That 2nd year would make the team look alot stronger to Mauer and help move the talks along
If they sign Hudson for 2 years, there would be no reason to resign Punto. 😎
I’m gonna say it’s the Mets. HA. Not likely.
I can’t imagine the Twins giving out any more two-year deals to journeyman infielders after the Mike Lamb fiasco! Orlando Hudson is okay to play 2B at something less the $2.5 million but he is hardly the missing piece.
Actually, is there indication anywhere that the Twins are even interested in Hudson? He is a favorite with a lot of guys in MLBTR boards but big league teams obviously don’t share that love.
Fox speculated that the Twins are the third team in on Hudson. It makes sense that they would be a “mystery” team since Smith never lets anyone in on what they are thinking.
Orlando Hudson is not mike lamb (he doesn’t even deserve the first letters in his name capitalized). And a high OBP second baseman who plays good defense seems like the missing piece to me.
I definitely agree. Orlando Hudson is an above average infielder with great OBP. Span and Hudson could set the table perfectly for Mauer-Morneau-Cuddyer and whoever follows them (ie. Kubel/Thome etc). I am putting Delmon Young on his best year since his rookie year and I think with Hudson at the top of the order we could provide our relatively young staff (only said relative because of Pavano) with added run support.
Really u think those guys are comparable lamb sucks!!!!!!!
No way hudson even does half as bad as him
As a huge rays fan…I see a immediate need that can be filled with hudson that would also fit and fill an immediate need with the outfield. Just because Zobrist doesnt play 2nd every day doesnt mean he cant play it when needed. I say lets go for it a one year deal to see whats going on with Hudson.
With hudson the twins line up would be amazing
We could probably dominate the central and make it past the first round of the playoffs
Cincinnati Reds pick him up and BPhillips to short or vice versa would give the reds the best infield in the game.
ODogg would help the Padres so much it isn’t funny.
C’mon ODogg….how bout 3 mil and all the happy meals you can eat! 🙂
Go Padres