The Padres have requested release waivers for second baseman Orlando Hudson, the team announced. The Padres placed shortstop Jason Bartlett on the 15-day disabled list and called up infielders Everth Cabrera and Alexi Amarista from Triple-A in related moves.
“We felt it was time to make a change,” GM Josh Byrnes said. “O-Dog has been a two-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and a contributor to playoff teams, but at this point, we want to give our younger players an opportunity.”
Hudson has struggled at the plate, posting a .211/.260/.317 line in 131 plate appearances so far this season. Once an elite fielder, Hudson has lost range and fielding ability in recent years, according to The Fielding Bible Volume III. This year the four-time Gold Glove winner has started 33 games at second base, the only position he's played at the MLB level.
Hudson will earn $5.5MM this year, the final season of a two-year deal he signed following the 2010 campaign. The contract includes an $8MM option for 2013 and the Padres are responsible for the related $2MM buyout. ESPN.com's Keith Law first reported that the Padres were removing Hudson from the roster (Twitter link).
Terry Ryan needs to get on the phone and call Josh Brynes immediately. Alexi Casilla is only good as a utility infielder and a bench bat.
I’m not a Casilla fan, but…
Casilla 2011-2012: .259/.316/.356, 20-for-24 in SB
Hudson 2011-2012: .238/.314/.344, 22-for-27 in SB
Hudson will hit a few more homers, but he’s essentially the same player with a worse glove. He’s got a bad reputation in the clubhouse as well, which is probably the last thing the Twins need to add into the mix right now.
Where’s the upgrade, really?
(Edit: Not sure what the heck happened with my spacing there… yikes)
“He’s got a bad reputation in the clubhouse as well, which is probably the last thing the Twins need to add into the mix right now.”
Exactly what I was thinking.
I am hoping Someone will take a chance on him, so the Padres can get at least a bottom end prospect for him. But the truth is his range is shot, his bat is slow, and he has nothing but a bad attitude in the locker room.
you can gauge his attitude in the locker room from Tahoe? wow, your perception extends many miles through concrete stadium walls and into stadium locker rooms. Incredible.
I would have preferred that they get rid of Bartlett first. O-Dog’s bat was coming around.
odog’s locker room problems are well-known at this point. he’s always the last one to arrive to the clubhouse and the last one to leave. the rest of the team doesn’t appreciate his inconsistent effort level and nonchalant attitude on the field. why do you think he had never been signed to anything but 1-year deals before san diego?
signing 1 year deals is business as usual for the Pads. If you follow them, you should know that. The small town market coupled with stingy owners rarely gets large contracts in San Diego.
The Padres are up for sale and when the deal is done – it will be one of the top 10 paid for any sports franchise.
that’s true but that does not necessarily translate to high salaries for players on the team.
He signed one year deals with the Dodgers and Twins, too.
He is being released you don’t get prospects then at most you get is a few thousand in salary relief that’s all
Paging Dave Dombrowski.
Exactly. Can the Tigers please end the Raburn at 2B debacle now?
The previous 3 year slash lines between the two are very much in favor of Raburn, and RR isn’t on the downslope of his career.
Do not want. Does not fix a problem on that team.
Raburn’s 3-year slash line is significantly skewed due to him not having been a full-time player. If he played every day, like he has this year, it would be a lot lower, as we’re all finding out, and will continue to suffer through. So signing O-Dawg would give the Tigers a switch-hitting 2B who’d bat 8th or 9th and play every day, and push Raburn into a platoon role in LF and RF and DH (4-way platoon in 3 spots with Dirks, Boesch and Young), so that he can be the solid part-time player he is meant to be. The man who’d get cut is Don Kelly, finally, and forever.
He’s averaged 116 games per year compared to odogs 131. 15 games and roughly 60 plate appearances isn’t a big enough difference in playing time for me to believe it skews the numbers.
Actually, O-Hudson has averaged 175 plate appearances per year more than Raburn over the past three seasons.
Does switch-hitting really do you any good when the “hitting” part is absent?
It does in the Tigers case because it would hopefully give Leyland one fewer spot in the lineup to decimate with his incessant noodling.
Immediately the team I thought of.
Maybe the Mets could take a flyer on him.
that ship has sailed 4 years ago.
Sabean’s got to be all over this one… not that this is going to help much, but the giants have a minor league infield right now.
Sabean likes his veterans.
Not this year. Going with the kids this year. They up a year too early.
Red Sox should sign him, If not a team like the Nationals/Orioles/Rays will for some depth
I shouldn’t think the Orioles will have interest.
What ever happened to Brian Roberts? Where is he now? Just out of curiosity
Apparently getting closer and closer. He’s stepped up his baseball activities, is taking BP both off machines and live pitching and is working more and more in the field, turning DPs, diving, baserunning, and so on.
Buck keeps saying it won’t be long, but so far, nothing’s been announced as to when he’ll go on a rehab or anything. Honestly, I think they know they don’t need him right now, Bob Andino has been very good, and the team is winning, so there’s no rush. They have the luxury of making sure he’s completely healed.
He’s been traveling with the team, so he’s around the guys and has been helping Jones and Andino with their baserunning and probably has been helping Andino, a natural SS, at 2B. Andino’s always been a plus defender, but this year, but is relatively new to 2B. This year, he’s really stepped it up.
A pleasant problem to have, what to do when BRob is ready, but not one they will have to deal with for awhile.
A more pressing issue is Britton, who’s been progressing, and could be ready for rehab this week. He could be back in Baltimore by mid June, what to do then?
Yes, the Red Sox really need a good second baseman, because the one they have now is horrible…..
Welcome to the Giants, Orlando.
Doesn’t he only play second? Why Red Sox? Tigers make more sense
Kenny Williams to the rescue. He has wanted the o dog for years. And he always gets tr players he wants, albeit years after their prime, see Ken Griffey, Omar, manny, now odawg
Wow,looking at these comments it appears there are about a dozen Teams who should be interested in Hudson?
If this was the case,I’m sure Byrnes would have traded him for a low end minor league prospect AND paid all….or just about all…..of his salary.
My guess is that the list of Teams interested is miniscule.
He will catch on some where….but I would think his career is over after this year.
a dozen teams who should be interested in him at the major league minimum cost without having to give up any prospects. Nobody was urging their front office to deal a prospect for O-Dog and his whole salary yesterday.
good riddance… talk about an albatross. Soon, the last of the Jedi (Hoyer) contracts will be gone!
I second that Good riddance, see ya later O-Dogger. Cant wait to see Amarista, I hope he does well and can sure up 2b for along long time.
I feel bad for any team that looks at Amarista as the future of their second base.
I feel bad for any team that committed 250MM to a player who can’t hit anymore.
Zing!!
Too early to go there. Stick to the $85m committed to the player that can’t hit anymore, and the player given up for the privilege, who put up a 1.046 OPS for your divisional rival…
Sound’s like it would be a good pick up for the tigers, but what would you do to delmon young? the realty is if we got O DAWG there would be no spot for raburn but dh. The second half a the season is almost here and raburn should be hitting real soon.
The numbers don’t lie and I’d rather have raburn.
Once second half raburn start raking the ball and puts up 20 homers in the second half and bats .400 with OPS >1.000 for a month solid no one will be whining about him then.
Sign with the White Sox and move Beckham back to third where he hit well in rookie year. Morel is awful and should be in the minors and at least Beckham’s bat is waking up
Or callup McPherson or Johnson…they can be the White Sox version of Bryan LaHair lol
I am think that not team out their is going to claim him on outright/released waivers… He not going to be signing right away as he going to team that fit his need.. If his career is almost done that, he might want to go to team that is playoff potential & World Series Potential..
than depends on how long, he is free agent, he going to signed for minor league contract..
Cut by the worst team in baseball, must mean that this guy and his loud mouth are at the end of his career.
Funny I thought he was cut by the Padres not the Twins.
“Cubs to sign Orlando Hudson”
If the Tigers get him, gotta get rid of Delmon somehow. I would rather have Raburn playing outfield than 2B. Since the hate crime charge they can release him at no cost. I think this would make sense for the Tigers. Good leader, good fielder, switch hitter, also hits for about 260-270 for the entire season. Which the Tiger need some consistency in the lineup. I think that this would be a solid upgrade. If this happens then Tigers need to find some bullpen arms fast!
The Padres let the O-Dawg out
Byrnes is great. Gotta love any GM who calls one of his players “ODOG”.
Then again, gotta ask why any 35 year old man would want to be called “ODOG”…
I guess it’s a jock thing.