Daniel Hudson
Position: RP
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Age: 32 (March 9, 1987)
Traditional Stats: 2.47 ERA, 71 K, 27 BB, 1.14 WHIP over 69 appearances (73 innings)
Advanced Stats: 3.97 FIP, 5.08 xFIP, 8.75 K/9, 3.33 BB/9, 0.99 HR/9, 17.8% soft-hit rate, 39.1% hard-hit rate, 0.9 fWAR
Since being drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the fifth round of the 2008 MLB draft, Daniel Hudson has had a wild ride in the major leagues.
After beginning his career as a starter (3.63 ERA over 61 starts for Chicago and Arizona from 2009 to 2012) then undergoing two Tommy John surgeries in two years (2012 and 2013), Hudson returned in late 2014 as a reliever, having since found varying levels of success.
His first full season back, 2015, was solid. The Virginia Beach native pitched to a 3.86 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 25 walks over 64 appearances for the Diamondbacks but mildly declined in 2016 (5.22 ERA, 58 K, 22 BB in 70 appearances; 60.1 IP).
Hudson signed a two-year, $11 million free-agent contract with Pittsburgh ahead of the 2017 season. His underwhelming performance during his lone year with the Pirates (4.38 ERA, 66 K, 33 BB, 71 appearances; 61.2 IP) led to him being traded to Tampa the following offseason.
After being released just before Opening Day 2018, Hudson latched on with the Dodgers, signing a minor league, prove-it contract.
A 4.11 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 18 walks over 40 appearances (46 IP) with Los Angeles certainly put him back on the map, but right forearm stiffness cut his season short in August, scaring off potentially interested teams last offseason.
Hudson finally signed a minor league deal with the Angels in February but was cut on March 22. Toronto swooped in an signed the right-hander to a one-year, $1.5 million deal a few days later, and Hudson responded with a 3.00 ERA over 45 appearances (48 innings) with the Jays before being traded to Washington at the deadline.
With the Nationals, Hudson was outstanding.
His 1.44 ERA with 23 strikeouts and just four walks over 24 regular-season appearances and 3.72 ERA over 9.2 postseason innings (he didn’t allow an October earned run until the World Series) was instrumental in bringing that beleaguered bullpen together down the stretch and in securing Washington’s first World Series title.
Contract
Daniel Hudson’s terrific run with the Nats and Blue Jays last season will certainly earn him a raise from the $1.5 million he earned in 2019.
Despite being on the wrong side of 30 and having an extensive injury history, reliable bullpen help is extremely hard to come by these days — and it most definitely doesn’t come at a discount.
Hudson’s agents — Jet Sports Management, the same folks who represent Zack Wheeler — will assuredly be looking to secure a multi-year deal — two, perhaps with a third option year — for anywhere from $3 million to $5 million per year. Whether they find a taker will be determined in short order.
Recommendation
The New York Mets need viable bullpen depth. Hudson fits that bill to a tee. The current relief corps is unquestionably talented, but harnessing that talent has proven difficult for a handful of key cogs.
Right-handers Seth Lugo, Edwin Diaz, and Jeurys Familia, as well as southpaw Justin Wilson, need a solid support system behind them. Robert Gsellman, while inconsistent at times, has shown the ability to handle the job but needs to even out his production levels.
Hudson would bridge a gap to Gsellman and whoever else fills out the back end of Carlos Beltran‘s bullpen this season. Whether the Mets will commit substantial dollars to him is anyone’s guess, though.
