The Market For Orlando Hudson

As the off season began, 2B Orlando Hudson looked to be in a good position to cash in on two productive seasons with the Diamondbacks. Hudson was by far the best second baseman available on the free agent market and seemed to have a laundry list of teams preparing to go after him.

However, almost two months into free agency, Hudson remains unsigned with no suitors in sight. It now seems unlikely that Hudson will receive the lucrative long term deal that he seemed certain to receive when free agency began,

So where have all the suitors gone?

Mets: Still have Luis Castillo. Until they move Castillo, Hudson will remain a pipe dream.

Yankees: Showed interest at the beginning of free agency, but shied away after acquiring Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira.

Indians: Acquired Mark DeRosa instead. No need for Hudson.

Nationals: The wild card in the Hudson sweepstakes. After losing Teixeira, the Nationals could use a splash to start building a winner in DC. They have the money to spend, but are they interested?

Cardinals: Have a glaring hole at second base, but I doubt they have the money to make a push for Hudson.

Giants: Another team with a glaring hole at second base, but once again, do they have the money to spend? Hudson would be a good fit here, but the Giants need more pop than Hudson can provide.

So as you can see folks, the list of suitors for Hudson has diminished. There is no team with a glaring need for Hudson who also has a boatload of money to spend. Hudson still needs to remain patient and wait for potential opportunities to arise, but taking a one year deal should not be out of the question at this point.

And finally, I think that Nationals have to make a move on Hudson. He is a high character guy, is a solid hitter, plays gold glove defense, and will come at an affordable rate. The Nationals could probably come to terms with Hudson on a two or three year deal for roughly $18-$30 million, which would be perfect for the rebuilding Nationals.

They need to find a leader who can help shape their identity and start bringing wins to the District before fans completely forget that the Nationals exist.

That guy is Orlando Hudson.