Hopefully Alderson will finally cut loose the dead weight  that is Luis Castillo.  The Mets should have signed Hudson in 2009, but instead they let him go to the Dodgers.  Once again the Mets had another chance earlier this year to sign Hudson, but Omar didn’t.  Since things are supposed to be different now that the great and powerful Sandy Alderson is the General Manage,r hopefully this is the year Orlando Hudson will finally wear a Mets jersey.

Hudson is a 4 time gold glove winner.  Hudson is a career .280 hitter with a career on base percentage of .346.  Another great thing about Hudson is that he actually wants to be on the Mets. I can’t say that about too many players these days.

Hudson is a solid player who is also known to be a great clubhouse presence.

Hudson can still field which is something that cannot be said for our current second baseman Luis Castillo. Hudson can also hit and get on base which is something defensive-minded Ruben Tejada can’t do very well.  Hudson will also be a leader on a team that needs some real leadership.

Now I know Sandy Alderson doesn’t expect to be active in free agency, but this is a move that won’t cost much and needs to be made.  The lack of defense up the middle has really hurt the Mets the last several years.  I think Hudson will also be a great influence on Jose Reyes and I would love to see Hudson and Reyes turn some double plays next season.

Last season he played for the division winning Twins, and the season before that the first place Dodgers. His final season with the D’Backs saw them finish in second place in 2008, but they have finished last two straight  seasons since the O-Dog left.

Unfortunately, I’m sure Hudson will sign on with another team and have another good season while we’re left with Ruben Tejada, who really should spend more time seasoning in AAA , but maybe Alderson will prove me wrong.

The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have agreed to terms with second baseman Orlando Hudson on a one-year contract worth $5 million dollars for the 2010 season.

Hudson, 32, batted .283 (156-for-551) with 35 doubles, six triples, nine home runs and 62 RBIs in 149 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. He was named to his second career All-Star team (2007) and also won his fourth career Rawlings Gold Glove Award (2005, 2006 and 2007). Following the 2009 season, Hudson was named the Best Defensive Second Baseman by Baseball America in its annual tools issue.

Since making his Major League debut in 2002, Hudson has a career batting-average of .282 (1035-for-3670) with 214 doubles, 50 triples, 77 home runs and 434 RBIs in 1014 games with Toronto, Arizona and Los Angeles (NL). He has recorded 120-or-more hits in each of the last seven seasons. (via MLB.com) 

Obviously, this will put the O-Dog to the Mets rumors to rest for yet another season.

Interestingly enough though, is the fact that Hudson takes over at second base for the Twins, ultimately replacing Castillo who they traded to the Mets in 2007. Since then, the Mets have spent two off-seasons trying to rid themselves of Castillo with the hopes of replacing him with O-Dog. It looks like the Twins succeeded where the Mets could not.

2009 was a bounce back year for Castillo.  Castillo finished 2009 with a .302 batting average, a vast improvement from 2008’s .245 batting average.  Castillo had a slight spill down the steps of the dugout late into the season but he did avoid the disabled list something that most of the Mets can’t claim.  Of course Met fans won’t forget the dropped fly in that Yankee game but 2009 was a good season for Castillo.

I was pro Hudson last year and I’m still pro Hudson.  It’s not because Orlando Hudson is not Luis Castillo, it’s because Hudson is the better player.  Looking at their offensive stats some would argue that but here is where I see Hudson helping us:  He has more power than Castillo and he can hit a single to the outfield.  If you really watch Castillo’s at bats most of his singles are either infield singles or they are just out of reach of the infielders which results in outfielders playing a shallower outfield against Castillo which means runners on base can only advance one base.  With Orlando Hudson batting that will force both the infield to back up and the outfielders to play deeper in the outfield.  Hudson will most likely bat behind Jose Reyes who we all know has a lot speed and on a deep single Jose can run 1^st-3^rd or from 2^nd-home, thus allowing more runs scored.

Another reason I’m so high on Hudson is his defense.  Castillo as he has gotten older has lost a bit of range each year in the infield.  This is really important now because of our 1^st base situation.  Reports from the scouts in Puerto Rico on Carlos Delgado are that the very little range he had is gone.  Now those same scouts are reporting that Delgado has been seen limping after playing 1^st in winter ball and that the Mets might pass on Delgado.  If that is true Daniel Murphy will be our first baseman with a possibility that Tatis will play 1^st.  For those that don’t know that is Tatis’ worst position.  Now Murphy was good at 1^st last year, he made some nice plays but he lacks the instincts of a 1^st baseman since he hasn’t played the position that long.  The Mets are going to need a 2^nd baseman to pick up the slack and Hudson is that guy.

I don’t think right now as of this writing the Mets will get Hudson.  First they have to trade Luis Castillo who makes a lot of money the next two years.  If I was a general manager I would be worried that last year was a bit of fluke and Castillo revert back to 2008.  Furthermore he is and will be an injury risk for the rest of his career.  The Mets would have to pay most if not all of his salary for the rest of his contract.  I think it will be financially irresponsible of the Mets to trade Castillo, pay most of his salary and have to pay Hudson for this year.

If the right trade was offered and if the money was not an issue I would hope the Mets pull the trigger on Castillo and then sign Hudson but that will not happen this year.  I think Castillo will not revert back to 2008 but I also think that hitting .300 will not happen again.  I would be ok with that if it wasn’t for the fear I have that his defense is going to hurt the Mets more than his skills at the plate.  Only time will tell, hopefully I’ll be proved wrong.

The market for second baseman is very soft and in my opinion, Hudson will end up taking a one year deal just as he did last season. The Mets would still like to add the O-Dog, but probably not for more than $6 million in guaranteed money.

Meanwhile, John Morosi of Fox Sports believes that free agent catcher Bengie Molina is now willing to accept a two year deal after holding firm on three years all off season.

Free agent catcher Bengie Molina has lowered his asking price, multiple sources said Tuesday, raising the likelihood of a long-expected union with the New York Mets. Molina had been asking for a three-year contract, but one source believes he is now willing to sign for two years.

All arrows continue to point toward the Mets signing Molina. If the second year is a vesting option or a team option, it should work out okay for the Mets. I’d have a big problem with two guaranteed years.

Ed Price of AOL, posted an update on Carlos Delgado via his Twitter. He says that Delgado is not moving well while playing first base and that the Mets have already seen Delgado play twice, but will take one more look before moving on or making a decision.

Price also speculates that the Blue Jays might be the final destination for Delgado who is batting .316 in Winter Ball.

I think this latest news should close the book on Carlos Delgado who is obviously a designated hitter posing as a first baseman.

Mike Lowell is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $12 million next season, while Castillo is owed the same amount, but over two seasons, not one.

I like Lowell who batted .290 with a .811 OPS last season in 119 games. He also collected 29 doubles, 17 homeruns and 75 RBIs. He is a .300+ hitter with men on base, scoring position and scoring position with two outs.

On the down side is the fact he is right handed just like Jeff Francoeur, David Wright and the newly acquired Jason Bay. Additionally, he has been primarily a third baseman his entire career so there’s no telling how good or bad he would be defensively at first base.

Furthermore, the move would make Lowell the third highest paid hitter on the team and increase the teams payroll for 2010 by another $6 million dollars without necessarily filling a need.

Lowell, just had surgery on his thumb last week, and it is not yet known when he will be ready to swing a bat again.

It seems to me that we would be taking on a bigger risk than Castillo for double the price in 2010. If the Mets are so willing to throw $6 million away so easily, then why not just keep Castillo on the bench and sign Orlando Hudson for the same money?

That way we get two players for $12 million, fill a major need, and upgrade second base and the bench at the same time?

One thing that may push things along is the fact that the Red Sox have just agreed to a deal with third baseman Adrian Beltre this morning.

Debating whether Luis Castillo should stay or go has been a fun and interesting exercise for Mets fans lately, but the fact of the matter is we have no say in determining Castillo’s home field next season. Those who do have a say have made it perfectly clear by their actions and the information they are intentionally leaking to the press.

Since last week, the buzz from the rumor mill has been that the Mets have their sights set on free agents Orlando Hudson and Chone Figgins.

Regarding Figgins, Joel Sherman of the NY Post wrote,

Though they are fixated on adding a power bat such as Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, the Mets are in the words of an involved party “absolutely in” on free agent Chone Figgins.

Jerry Manuel is a huge supporter of going after Figgins. He sees Figgins’ speed as a huge asset, specifically at big Citi Field. He thinks Figgins’ versatility would help the Mets if they had another spate of injuries. And he believes that Figgins could serve as a top-of-the-order influence on Reyes.

Today, Adam Rubin of the Daily News adds more clarity to the matter of trading Luis Castillo.

Trying to rid themselves of an ill-advised contract, the Mets shopped Luis Castillo during the GM Meetings that concluded Wednesday. Still, despite the veteran second baseman hitting .302 this season and staying healthy, GM Omar Minaya may have a difficult time moving Castillo.

The Chicago Tribune reported the Cubs are interested in Castillo and are attempting to rope in a third team such as Tampa Bay or Texas as a way of finding a landing spot for Milton Bradley. Moving Castillo would open second base to Hudson, who again is a free agent. The Mets also have expressed interest in Chone Figgins, who is represented by the same agents as Castillo and David Wright. Figgins would provide solid defense in left field, although he wouldn’t address the team’s power deficiency. The Mets reportedly may be interested in using Figgins at second base.

The talk about who the Mets should get to replace Luis Castillo is valid. Last off season, Omar Minaya on several occasions adamantly stated that Luis Castillo would not be traded. This offseason however, he has made no such assurances to his second baseman. The fact that Castillo was nearly close to becoming a Cub is now no surprise, and there’s still a chance that it may get done sooner rather than later.

The question now becomes who will play second base for the New York Mets in 2010?

We now know that Orlando Hudson and Chone Figgins are clearly in the mix, and yesterday fellow MMO writer Phil Hoops, mentioned the Reds’ Brandon Phillips who could be part of a major housecleaning and payroll trimming in Cincinnati. Another option could include Detroit’s Placido Polanco. Interestingly, both Polanco and Hudson won gold gloves for their stellar defense at second base.

What I find to be most curious about this entire situation is this,

With all the other areas of concern this team needs to address, isn’t it peculiar that they would begin the off season by focusing on the one area that was actually pretty good in 2009? In fact, another of our writers, Jessep, wrote an appropriately titled post, “Quit Focusing on 2B!” Unfortunately, Omar Minaya has never looked to a blog for advice, and he’ll go on doing whatever he and his trimmed down posse of advisers want to do.

All we can do is debate the merits of it.

If I had to rank the options in my order of preference, I would do so like this:

1. Chone Figgins  2. Brandon Phillips  3. Placido Polanco  4. Orlando Hudson

It’s not that I don’t like Orlando Hudson, it’s that I no longer see him as that much of an upgrade to Castillo. As for my first three choices, they would appear to be major weapons in their own right and significant upgrades to Castillo. Figgins plays a several different defensive positions and his offense is unquestioned. He led the league in walks last season, batted .298 with a .398 OBP, scored 114 runs, and stole 42 bases.

Aside from the obvious needs of a left fielder and a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, Minaya has made it clear that the team will be looking to upgrade at second base.

This past week there have already been rumblings about a potential deal that would send the incumbent, Luis Castillo, to the Chicago Cubs.

If Minaya is able to move Castillo, the talk is that the team will pursue the guy they let get away last season, Orlando Hudson.

Hudson seems to be a pretty good fit for the team. He is noted as being a good clubhouse guy, has produced consistently over the past five years or so, and according to numerous sources, wants to play in New York. However, what if the Mets could do even better than Hudson?

According to Ed Price and Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse [Hat tip to MLB Trade Rumors for the link], the Cincinnati Reds are in cost cutting mode after a large drop off in fan attendance. As a result, in an effort to remain financially sound, the team is looking to unload some of their pricey veterans.

At the top of the list is All-Star second baseman, Brandon Phillips, who has two years and $17.75 million left on his contract along with a $12 million club option for 2012.

To a struggling small market team, like the Reds this contract looks horrendous. However, to the Mets the contract doesn’t nearly look so bad, especially when you consider that they owe Castillo $12 million for his two remaining years of service.

The question that still looms is that if the Mets can trade Castillo, which second baseman should they pursue?

To answer this let’s take a look at how both Phillips and Hudson performed last season.

Both players totaled roughly the same amount of at-bats last year. Both of their averages are similar, with Hudson having slightly better numbers.

However, the power numbers are where Phillips really shines. Last season alone, Phillips hit more than double the amount of homers that Hudson hit and drove in nearly one third more runners.

Phillips is also a speedster, which would compliment lead-off hitter, Jose Reyes nicely.

Acquiring Phillips, would give the Mets a legitimate power threat in the number two hole, which is something they haven’t had in quite some time.

It would also compensate the lack of power at first base, assuming that they stick with Daniel Murphy, as they are interested in doing.

The only downside to taking Phillips over Hudson is that a deal involving Phillips will require the Mets to give up prospects, whereas Hudson would only cost the team cash. However, you’d have to think that due to this potential trade being a salary dump that the return would not include any elite prospects if the Mets agreed to take on all of Phillips’s salary.

It should be interesting to see which direction the Mets go throughout the next few months, but if do, in fact, look for a new second baseman, Brandon Phillips should be their guy.

Orlando Hudson hit for the cycle on Monday against the Giants. It is interesting that the two players Met fans pined for most this offseason – Hudson and Manny Ramirez – both have ended up with the Dodgers. Imagine, say, the Dodgers beating out the Mets for the wild card, in part, because of Ramirez and Hudson. You think there is fan angst now.

Maybe it was always too much of a pipedream to believe that the post-Madoff Mets were going to reach deep for the $20 million-plus necessary to lasso Ramirez. But once Hudson’s demands fell to the one-year range with a base at less than $4 million, the Mets knew they had some edge in that Hudson wanted to play in New York, in part, because he is such close pals with Carlos Delgado. The Mets obviously did not want to invest in another second baseman when they still had Luis Castillo signed for $18 million over three years.

But Hudson fit so many needs for the Mets, and not just as an excellent player on both sides of the ball. He is a positive person and clubhouse force. Dodger insiders already rave about how much Hudson loves the game and uplifts the group with his upbeat temperament. With so much negativity still swirling around the Mets – as those quick Monday night boos emphasized – Hudson could have helped.