O-Dog (Orlando Hudson)

[tomterp]

I saw enough from ID at 2B last year to know that SS is his position.

Moving Espinosa there isn't a bad idea but he is more valuable at SS.

I think both will start the year in AA (DE) and AAA (ID) and we'll see where it goes from there.

I'd hate to trade either guy but if one guy establishes himself in the Majors and proves he can play we would definitely consider trading the other guy.

Totally agree.  Use both in a way that maximizes their value, if not to us, but as players which means we would get substantial value in trade, better than if we undermine the value by playing one out of position.  That being said, maybe Espinosa or even Desmond might be a superior 2nd baseman, but let's not force one of them there if it's not a fit.

[sportsfan882]

I know Rizzo wants defensive-minded players but he shouldn't expect Desmond to be a gold glover at SS.

As long as he isn't making an error every game or botching a ton of easy plays we should live with him there as long as he keeps hitting.

[tomterp]

I know Rizzo wants defensive-minded players but he shouldn't expect Desmond to be a gold glover at SS.

As long as he isn't making an error every game or botching a ton of easy plays we should live with him there as long as he keeps hitting.

He seems to have very good range and a very strong arm.  He makes a lot of tough plays, so a few errors doesn't mitigate all the overall benefit of his making tough plays.  Not saying he doesn't have an area of improvement to focus on, of course.

[blue911]

He seems to have very good range and a very strong arm.  He makes a lot of tough plays, so a few errors doesn't mitigate all the overall benefit of his making tough plays.  Not saying he doesn't have an area of improvement to focus on, of course.

How much will playing on major league surfaces help him? I'd worry more about his inability to hit breaking balls at this point.

[sportsfan882]

Ladson Tweet: I just spoke to 2B Orlando Hudson. He said the #Nats are still in the mix to sign him. He hopes to sign with a team soon.

[PANatsFan]

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=6885&position=SS#fielding

Just keep him out of RF and he'll be fine.


None of the projection systems think he'll get on base much. I disagree.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I wonder whether Desmond will fill out more.  He's listed as 6'2", 210.  If his body gets much bigger, then I think he may be the 2d baseman. Espinosa I think is the better regarded glove and is a smaller guy.  BA has Espinosa as our best defensive prospect but Desmond as best infield arm.  Espinosa is 2 inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter.

I think when I looked at Desmond's GB/LD/FB splits in the minors and some geek work translating his minor league stats to major league on minor league splits, he looked a bit like Jhonny Peralta in terms of fly and groundball ratios.  His BABIP also looks unsustainable (near .400 in the minors).  I'm not surprised the stat projections do not have him high on OBP.

[sportsfan882]

Free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson said Friday afternoon that the Nationals are still in the mix to acquire his services.

Hudson, 32, also said he hopes to sign with a team soon, but would not give a timetable nor talk about negotiations with any club.

"Things are good. That's all I'm going to say about that. We'll know after a while," Hudson said via phone. "It won't be too much longer before we know where I'll be headed. The Nationals are still [in the mix], yes. ... We are going to make sure things are right."

Hudson also liked the comments made by Nationals center fielder Nyjer Morgan on Thursday. Morgan, Washington's leadoff hitter, would be happy to see him and Hudson hit back-to-back in the starting lineup and wreak havoc on opposing pitchers.

"It's a [big deal] coming from a young player who has a bright future like himself," Hudson said about Morgan. "He has confidence in an old man like myself and I know how he can play. I enjoy watching the kid play. He plays the game the right way. He plays hard and I really like that.

"It would be a great lineup to be in, but we'll see how things work out. If I'm with the Nationals, I will give them 110 percent. We are definitely working on some things. Washington is a great place. The Nationals are heading in the right direction. With Willie Harris, Nyjer Morgan and my guy, Adam Dunn, who I'm close to -- it's all good."

In the past few weeks, Washington also expressed interest in Adam Kennedy, who said Friday the feelings are mutual.

"I pay attention to what everyone is doing this offseason," Kennedy said. "The Nationals have made some good moves. I know [manager] Jim Riggleman a little bit. I would definitely be interested in something like that."

Kennedy had a nice comeback season in 2009, hitting .289 with 11 home runs and 63 RBIs with the Athletics. The previous two years, he played in a combined 202 games because of benchings and injuries.

Kennedy, 34, is best known for his years with the Angels. In 2002, he was the American League Championship Series MVP after hitting three home runs against the Twins in Game 5.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100115&content_id=7924356&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was&partnerId=rss_was

[PANatsFan]

Honestly, if he's really close with all those guys, it could help his performance. He played with Dunn in AZ, I forgot.

[blue911]

Honestly, if he's really close with all those guys, it could help his performance. He played with Dunn in AZ, I forgot.

Umm... the D'Backs acquired Dunn when Hudson went down with his wrist injury.

[sportsfan882]

What may be in the Nationals' favor is that Hudson has close relationships with outfielder Willie Harris and first baseman Adam Dunn. Hudson and Harris have been close friends since the late 1990s, when they played against each other in the Minor Leagues. Harris was a prospect for the Orioles, while Hudson was in the Blue Jays' system. Dunn and Hudson were teammates with the D-backs in 2008.

[PANatsFan]

Umm... the D'Backs acquired Dunn when Hudson went down with his wrist injury.

So he stayed away entirely from the dugout and the clubhouse, and never made eye contact with Dunn?

[blue911]

So he stayed away entirely from the dugout and the clubhouse, and never made eye contact with Dunn?

Teammates yes, played together no.

[PANatsFan]

Teammates yes, played together no.

I meant poker, sheesh.

[Dave B]

Honestly, if he's really close with all those guys, it could help his performance. He played with Dunn in AZ, I forgot.

iiihhhhh. kearns loved dunn and that didnt help much

[cmdterps44]

iiihhhhh. kearns loved dunn and that didnt help much

Well kearns never had the track record that Hudson has had.

[sportsfan882]

MLB.com: What do think of the Nationals' offseason moves thus far?

Ryan Zimmerman: I think [general manager] Mike Rizzo and [team president] Stan Kasten have done a great job. I don't think they are done yet. I think they are still out there getting some stuff. The goal is to get better from last year. I think they have done that as far as bringing in some pitchers. That's all you can ask for as a player -- have your front office go out and try to make your team as talented and as capable of winning as they can.

MLB.com: Do you think it's the front office's best offseason since you have been a member of the Nationals?

Zimmerman: Yeah. It's tough to attract big-name players and big-name free agents when you are a team that loses 100 games. But I think people are starting to realize we have a good young nucleus and we have a great new ballpark. People enjoy playing in our city. When they are on the road, they kind of realize how lucky we are to play in DC. We are starting to attract some talent and I think that is the first step because, obviously, you have to start winning for some of the big-name guys to come.

MLB.com: What do you think about the Nationals trying to acquire Orlando Hudson?

Zimmerman: I think it would be awesome. I met him a few times. I obviously played against him a bunch. He was on the All-Star team with me this past year. He brings nothing but energy. He is almost like a veteran Nyjer Morgan. Every day Orlando is joking around. He keeps everyone's spirits high. Not to mention that he is a great baseball player and Gold Glove second baseman. He could do a ton for our team.

MLB.com: Do you think he would be a difference maker if he came to the Nationals?

Zimmerman: Absolutely. Everyone knows we can hit. I think the front office has done a great job of getting starting pitching and improving our bullpen from last year. I think the next thing is a second baseman. To have a guy like Orlando -- he's a Gold Glover, he's a great leader and has been around the game for a long time. He has had success for a long time. He can hold down a defense -- sort of that leader in the middle. It's perfect for us.

MLB.com: How frustrating was it to lose over 100 games for two consecutive years?

Zimmerman: Everyone is disappointed. I think anybody can try hard, but I think we need to take that next step where we have to learn how to win. It's a big part of it. I think we have a young team and we are starting to jell together and grow up together. That's our next step -- learn how to win.

In the past couple of years, we figured out how to lose the games instead of how to win the games. That's my goal and all of our goals. We have to turn that around and do the things to win games.

MLB.com: How does the team learn how to win?

Zimmerman: You have to go through hard times. You have to understand that little things can lose games. Baseball is a funny sport. There is not one thing that wins or loses a game. Everyone says, "That guy struck out with a runner on second, down by one run in the ninth inning." Well, you probably had five or six chances throughout the game to get another run in. That comes back to bite you. We have to take advantage of those little opportunities. You can't give the team more than 27 outs.

When our pitchers are struggling and when our hitters are struggling, the other side has to step up. That's when being a team comes in. It's all about having good chemistry and fight for everyone on the team.

[JMW IV]

amazing how much of a grasp on things that Zimmerman has. a lot of long-time superstars aren't as level-headed as he is.

[sportsfan882]

very true. great q&a by ladson.

full interview here: http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100117&content_id=7929878&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was

[PANatsFan]

While the interview is a nice one by Ryan, it doesn't convince me that Guzman/Hudson will be better than Desmond/Guzman.

[Nathan]

While the interview is a nice one by Ryan, it doesn't convince me that Guzman/Hudson will be better than Desmond/Guzman.

Yeah, there is pretty much no way it will be Desmond / Hudson

[PatsNats28]

i'm feeling extremely optimistic, i know i have to contain myself if we start out 0-8 though lol

[tomterp]

O-Dog Waits

by Jay Jaffe, Baseball Prospectus  Jan 22, 2010

Among the handful of interesting comments on my piece about the Dodgers' off-season spending, I found one of them, from reader ofMontreal, worth expanding upon:

I disagree with the idea that Hudson wouldn't have accepted arbitration. He most likely would have and would be due a raise. And would Wolf really be off the market right now were he not free? I don't think we can say that either. I think Collett [sic] is rather more justified with a little hindsight. The Dodgers can do better than those 2 for a lot less.

We don't know the answer to what might have happened had either or both of these players been offered arbitration by the Dodgers. But let's examine them in the context of the 10 Type A free agents who were offered arbitration this year:


Player                 Pos  Age  WARP   Old         New         Yrs Dollars
Chone Figgins       3B   32   7.2   LA Angels   Seattle      4  $36 mil
Matt Holliday        LF   30   6.7   St. Louis   St. Louis    7  $120 mil
Marco Scutaro      2B   34   6.5   Toronto     Boston       2  $12.5 mil
Orlando Hudson*   2B   32   6.1   LA Dodgers  --   
Jason Bay            LF   31   4.7   Boston      NY Mets      4  $66 mil
Randy Wolf*         SP   33   3.8   LA Dodgers  Milwaukee    3  $29.75 mil
John Lackey         SP   31   3.3   LA Angels   Boston       5  $82.5 mil
Rafael Soriano       RP   30   3.1   Atlanta     Tampa Bay**  1  $7.25 mil
Jose Valverde        RP   32   3.1   Houston     Detroit      2  $14 mil
Mike Gonzalez       RP   31   2.2   Atlanta     Baltimore    2  $12 mil
Rafael Betancourt  RP   35   2.1   Colorado    Colorado     1  $7.5 mil
Billy Wagner        RP   38   0.6   Boston      Atlanta      1  $7 mil

*: Not offered arbitration
**: Via trade after signing

I've ranked the players according to 2009 WARP to serve as a reminder that both Hudson and Wolf had strong seasons. Hudson made the All-Star team for the second time in his career, won his fourth Gold Glove, and set career bests in both EqA (.286) and WARP even with the September sitdown which soured his relationship with Joe Torre. Wolf, despite being credited with just an 11-7 record, set personal bests for starts (34) and innings (214 1/3), posted his best ERA since 2002 (3.23), tied for fourth in the league in quality starts (24) and finished 11th in the league in SNLVAR (I've written those credentials in so many contexts this winter that I've practically memorized them).

At this point, all 10 of the Type As have signed contracts for 2010. Seven of them did so with new teams, thus costing their signing teams either a first-round or second-round draft pick. Of those seven, Wagner's was the only one-year deal, though it included a vesting option for 2011. The questionable exchange of the expected yield of a first-round pick was canceled out by Gonzalez's departure. Boston's potential loss of a first-rounder was canceled out, too (and wow, the reports surrounding Bay's exit are starting to paint an unpleasant picture). Of the remaining three Type-A free agents, Holliday signed a huge multi-year pact with his previous team, and Betancourt and Soriano accepted arbitration and signed with theirs. The latter's acceptance caught the Braves by surprise after they'd signed Wagner and Takashi Saito, so they quickly flipped him to Tampa Bay.

The sample sizes are obviously small here, but I think we can make some inferences. Let's start with the guy who signed. Given the perception that Type-B free agent Andy Pettitte had no plans beyond returning to the Yankees, Wolf was clearly the second-best starting pitcher on the market after Lackey. He'd even had a better year than Lackey both by traditional standards (the latter was 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA in 27 starts) and the more advanced metrics. The next tier down, both performance and dollar-wise, appears to be Joel Pineiro (two years, $16 million with the Angels) and Jason Marquis (two years, $15 million with the Nationals), a pair of Type B free agents who are both low-strikeout worm killers coming off their best seasons in at least half a decade. As is Wolf for that matter, though he's considered less of a one-year wonder because the perceived value of his 12-12, 4.30 ERA, 0.5 WARP 2008 showing is boosted by his late-season run with the Astros.

The team that signed Wolf was the Brewers, who managed to go 80-82 while finishing last in the league in starter ERA (5.37) and SNLVAR (8.0), and thus in dire need of rotation help. As it happens, the Brewers finished with a record more or less at the point of inflection where the marginal dollar value of an additional win starts to climb, so it doesn't take too great a leap of faith to suppose that they might have been willing to rationalize the punting of the draft pick handcuffed to Wolf had he been offered arbitration. Perhaps that would have lowered their bid on the pitcher somewhat, but I don't think it would have lessened their desire for a multi-year deal. Even if the entire Milwaukee option wasn't on the table if Wolf had been offered arbitration, it's certainly possible that another team which fancies itself a contender (correctly or not) might have been willing to make that same choice. The Mets come to mind, and in a world where they also sign Bay, Wolf would have only cost them a second-round pick. Perhaps the Angels, who having lost two Type As were already going to net compensation picks, would have valued his services more highly than Pineiro. All it takes is one team.

As for Hudson, while he lacks the versatility of Figgins and Scutaro—the other infielders in this set, neither of them perfect comps—he's got a longer track record of above-average play than either. He's stuck in a strange market, though. Consider that the Giants, who at 88 wins finished near the summit of the marginal dollar value of a win curve, chose to lock up the similarly aged but significantly inferior Freddy Sanchez for two years before the World Series even ended, rather than wait to see how the market unfolded. Then, of course, Brian Sabean moves in mysterious ways. Sanchez underwent season-ending knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and the word on the street this week is that he just underwent shoulder surgery, threatening his opening day availability. Maybe they should have had Boston's doctors give him a physical.

The Twins still have a rather sizable opening at second base after getting a combined .209/.302/.267 performance with sub-par defense (-3 FRAA) from their keystone kops (an article on such lineup dead spots is in the pipeline for Monday), though as Steve Goldman reminded the other day, "With the Twins asking for a professional-level infield is apparently like Oliver Twist asking for more gruel. It's just unthinkably demanding and presumptuous." The Nationals have been sniffing around the O-Dog's house, too, though it's not like signing him makes great sense.

At this juncture, Hudson probably would have been better off had he been offered arbitration and accepted. His comments about Torre weren't over the top by any means, but were critical and certainly fueled the impression that he had no desire to return. The Dodgers may have taken them too personally, leading to a suboptimal business decision. Hudson found himself in the bargain bin last winter because he (and/or his agent, Paul Cohen) misread the market by searching for a long-term, big-dollar deal during an exceptionally tough winter. He's apparently seeking a larger payday to make up for last year's shortfall, though he did wind up making about $8 million thanks to his performance bonus. A report linking him to the Nationals suggests he's asked for $9 million for 2010. It's not that he's not worth it. At an average of 4.3 WARP per year over the past four, he is. But with none of the big-money contenders particularly in need of a second baseman, the O-Dog is out in the cold.

---

[The Chief]

Tom, I never knew how ADD I was until you came into my life

[tomterp]

Tom, I never knew how ADD I was until you came into my life