From Dylan Hernandez article last year:

Hudson, who in the previous off-season turned down a reported four-year, $29-million extension offer from the Diamondbacks, found that he was a difficult sell in an already slow free-agent market.

IIRC, the contract offer was going to buy out his last year of arbitration (2008) and keep him gainfully employed through the end of the 2011 season. He made $6.25M in 2008 and close to $7m last year, but he's going to have to work awfully hard to make up the gap to $29m over the next two years. Never mind the Chase Utley-like contract that Hudson supposedly brought to the table as a comp during negotiations.

The sad thing for Dbacks fans is that had Hudson taken the $29m offer from AZ, the Dbacks wouldn't have spent that money on Eric Byrnes instead (even if Jeff Moorad thinks the world of Eric). O-Dawg should've taken the money and run, like Eric did. The reality is, Hudson thought he was worth a lot more than the market thought he was while Eric knew that no other GM would give him $30m in shiny silver dollars.

Fair or not he did lose his job to Ronnie Belliard...who couldn't beat out Anderson Hernandez in Washington.Nine million....I don't think so.

Hudson did not return several phone messages.

If my FA options were running out and the Nationals were offering less than half of what I expected, I wouldn't be answering my phone either.

He should go on the "Clemens/Pedro Plan" and sign with a contender in the summer.

I hope the Twins offer to guarantee the $4M and end up with him.

I'm relieved the Mets nailed down the Alex Cora contract (with vesting option!) instead of running the risk of paying Hudson up to $2m more to do what, really?

I'd rather the Padres have Hudson than Eckstein at 2b, and I am not confident in Antonelli. I doubt Jed Hoyer agrees with me, though.

He should go on the "Clemens/Pedro Plan" and sign with a contender in the summer.

I just traded for this ####### in my Scoresheet league. If he does that I will be so pissed off.

The irony with Hudson is that his bat is more valuable than his glove.

The irony with Hudson is that his bat is more valuable than his glove.

But he has four Gold Gloves!

The Nats hope this week to come to terms with free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson. Even if the 32-year-old's range has diminished somewhat, he's still a four-time Gold Glover -- he even won the honor in 2009 -- and he committed just eight errors in 145 games at second. When GM Mike Rizzo has discussed Hudson, the interest has always been labeled as a means to "upgrade the defense."

Of course, Boswell ascribes to the line of thinking that Gold Gloves are everything, too.

However, [Adam] Kennedy (.721 career OPS)-vs.-Hudson (career .778 OPS) is a good example of how hard it is to use current defensive stats to get any sane view on an infielder. Hudson has won four Gold Gloves, Kennedy none. Yet Hudson's "UZR" rating was negative in two of those four GG seasons and, for his whole career is only +2.6 per 150 games. Kennedy has a career UZR at 2nd base of +8.2 per 150 games.

What this means is, probably, [is] that 1) Kennedy is at least an average fielder and maybe better than more people think and 2) UZR isn't to be trusted very much.

I wonder if Hudson doesn't have some kind of major personality defect, because he seems chronically underpaid to me.

I wonder if Hudson doesn't have some kind of major personality defect, because he seems chronically underpaid to me.

The word on Hudson as he was coming up in the Toronto system was, and this is as close to a direct quote as I can remember, "There's never been a town he's played in where he couldn't have run for mayor."

Even if the 32-year-old's range has diminished somewhat, he's still a four-time Gold Glover

That is a hilarious sentence. Let's try it with Willie Mays.

Even if the 78-year-old's range has diminished somewhat, he's still a twelve-time Gold Glover.

The word on Hudson as he was coming up in the Toronto system was, and this is as close to a direct quote as I can remember, "There's never been a town he's played in where he couldn't have run for mayor."

I've been a fan of his for some time since I saw him miked up on TWIB. He seems like a very well liked guy by his teammates. He's a guy that constantly runs his mouth in the infield, but no annoyingly so.

I think the lack of a market for him is a bit mystifying, even if his defense has diminished/was never that great in the first place.

In all fairness, it should be pointed out that prior to 2008, Fielding Bible's runs saved had him strongly in the positive. Having seen him play quite a bit, this seems to pass the smell test better with regards to this particular player.

2004 +26
2005 +17
2006 +11
2007 +17
2008 -3
2009 +4

He's probably around league average by now, and won't be much longer if history with 2b is any guide.

I wonder if Hudson doesn't have some kind of major personality defect, because he seems chronically underpaid to me.

I thought that 2nd basemen were generally underpaid? Perhaps because they have a reputation of losing their skills relatively early.

"turned down a reported four-year, $29-million extension offer from the Diamondbacks"

He's the new Jody Reed.

I thought that 2nd basemen were generally underpaid? Perhaps because they have a reputation of losing their skills relatively early.

and because even poor defensive 1bmen can play an average 2B.

It's funny. My vague impression of Hudson is that he's a good guy, solid all-around player, above average. I see that CHONE projects him to be dead average this year, both at the plate and with the glove, which is reasonable.

On the other hand, CHONE thinks guys like Tug Hulett, Ryan Roberts, and Jeff Baker are at the same level as Hudson. There are 34 second basemen projected at 2+ WAR per 600 PA, including a glut of 13 in the 2.0-2.3 range:

Brandon Phillips
Orlando Hudson
Omar Infante
Tug Hulett
Clint Barmes
Ryan Roberts
Mike Fontenot
Jeff Baker
Chris Getz
Felipe Lopez
Eric Young
Alberto Callaspo
Luis Valbuena

From that point of view, I can see why teams aren't exactly banging on Hudson's door. Then again, he's surely better than Nick Punto, and I have no idea what the Nats' backup plan is.

(Edit: Adam Kennedy? Worse hitter, probably similar fielder, older... according to CHONE, at least, they'd be better off trading for Baker.)

I think the Alex Cora move is the worst small move of the offseason.

they'd be better off trading for Baker.

I'd guess Baker is slated for at least 400-500 PA with the Cubs this season -- either as starting 2B or as DeRosa-lite. The Nats would have to give us something pretty worthwhile for him and I doubt they want to do that.

I wonder if Hudson doesn't have some kind of major personality defect, because he seems chronically underpaid to me.

He seemed like one of Vin Scully's favorite players even before he was on the Dodgers.

That is a hilarious sentence. Let's try it with Willie Mays.

Even if the 78-year-old's range has diminished somewhat, he's still a twelve-time Gold Glover.

Heh. Reminds me of a quote I saw in SI the year the Phillies were trying to convert Juan Samuel to CF.

Reporter: "Hey Juan, you look just like Willie Mays out there."

Samuel: "Really? Thanks."

Reporter: "Sure. But keep in mind that Willie's 57 years old now . . . "

Maybe player egos are just built slightly above their pay grade, but what human being with at best a marginal skill set in their chosen profession can look $30 million in the eye and say no thanks?

I've been a fan of his for some time since I saw him miked up on TWIB. He seems like a very well liked guy by his teammates. He's a guy that constantly runs his mouth in the infield, but no annoyingly so.

I think the lack of a market for him is a bit mystifying, even if his defense has diminished/was never that great in the first place.

Agreed. Loved him on the Jays, and for a while I thought some team (probably the Mets) was going to end up overpaying for a largely BA driven stat line. Very strange he's had to beg for a contract the last couple of seasons...

Hudson pretty obviously should have taken the $29M in hindsight, but he's clearly quite a bit better than "marginal at best."

He's a victim of both the changing economic climate of the game and the spread of new methods of player evaluation throughout MLB front offices. As a player who is has a good all-round skill set but doesn't necessarily excel at any one thing, he's the type of guy GMs are likely to look at as a luxury rather than a necessity when it comes to keeping costs down. I think when GMs look at their team and say, we have to find a few spots on the roster that we can fill with guys making salaries at or near the minimum, second base is one of the first places they look.

For instance, look at the guy likely to be manning second for Arizona this season - converted from infield to outfield halfway through his professional career, with 2B being the one position he didn't play in the minors, cut loose by his org. last season, and taking a pay cut to regain a starting job with a new team. Making 25% what Hudson's reportedly asking for and not likely materially worse on the diamond.

For instance, look at the guy likely to be manning second for Arizona this season - converted from infield to outfield halfway through his professional career, with 2B being the one position he didn't play in the minors, cut loose by his org. last season, and taking a pay cut to regain a starting job with a new team. Making 25% what Hudson's reportedly asking for and not likely materially worse on the diamond.

I'm so sure about that. Hudson's pretty well-established at the 100+ OPS+ level, while Johnson has had 1 very good, 1 solid, and 1 terrible year in the last three. Hudson hasn't ever had a year as bad as Johnson's 2008, and he should be better in the field. Johnson's a good gamble for AZ, but there's a not insignificant chance he'll be mediocre both in the field and at the plate.