Hudson (Finally) Picks A Team

02/05/2010 8:05 AM -  Fred Zinkie

By: Fred Zinkie

Orlando Hudson can turn a double-play as fast as anyone in baseball.  Conversely, he picks a new team about as slowly as anyone in the league.  For the second straight year we had to wait into February to watch the O-Dog make up his mind.  But for the second straight year he did pretty well for himself, finding a decent contract on a team with playoff aspirations.  Let’s take a look at how Hudson’s signing affect fantasy values on the Twins.

Orlando Hudson – Minnesota is a good landing spot for him, especially if he can earn the spot as the team’s number two hitter.  I think there is a good chance he can make that happen.  J.J. Hardy has also hit second in his career, but Hudson was much better in 2009 and is a more consistent hitter.  I think the Twins will like to see that in front of Mauer and Morneau.  Despite only getting one-year deals recently, Hudson is not very old and his skills are not in decline.  Hitting in front of two elite players would give him the chance to score as many runs as he has in any other season in his career.  If he bats second he will be worth owning in just about all formats.  If he ends up batting seventh or eighth he could then be near replacement level in most mixed leagues.

J.J. Hardy – If Hudson steals the second spot in the batting order, Hardy will tumble all the way down to somewhere between seventh and ninth. That will obviously have a significant impact on his run scoring ability and at-bat total.  It’s a situation to watch closely during spring training.

Alexi Casilla and Nick Punto – They are the biggest losers from the Hudson signing.  They were all set to battle for the job at 2B but that won’t happen now.  Both players can battle Brendan Harris for the 3B job, assuming that the Twins don’t bring in another player.  Punto seems perfect for a utility role all over the infield while Casilla might not make the team if he doesn’t hit well in the spring.  I am guessing that he makes the team but it is not a given.  Neither player has mixed league value. Punto’s ability to find at-bats anywhere and steal a few bases can make him a late round AL-Only pick.

Brendan Harris – He has to now hope that the team doesn’t bring in a veteran 3B too.  There is still a chance that Joe Crede could come back.  If the roster stays intact, look for Harris to draw the majority of starts at 3B but not near as many as other starting 3B around the league.  Expect Punto to cut into his playing time a lot, making him a poor option in any mixed league format.  He is still worth an active roster spot in AL-Only leagues because he won’t hurt you and will give a little bit of production across the board.