Twins sign Orlando Hudson to one-year deal

12:32pm: MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that Hudson will not play for the Nationals, and a deal is almost done with the Twins.

11:59am: The Twins have "intensified their pursuit" of Orlando Hudson, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The writers believe Hudson is likely to find a team this week, though the free agent second baseman is still asking for at least $6MM on a one-year deal.

Rosenthal and Morosi say the Nationals are not a clear frontrunner for Hudson, who could be swayed by the Twins' status as a contender. The Indians are seen as the least likely of the three suitors.

Orlando Hudson Close To Deal With Twins: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! Fills a huge need of a number 2 hitter and plays good defense.

CF Span
2B Hudson
C Mauer
1B Morneau
RF Cuddyer
DH Kubel
SS Hardy
LF Young
3B Punto/Harris

With a bench of...

1B/DH Jim Thome
Utility: Harris/Punto
OF Jason Pridie
C Jose Morales

Also gives us plenty of options at 3B until Valencia is ready. Could probably use a 4th OF yet but I love that line up!

Orlando Hudson is on the verge of a one-year, $5 million deal with the Minnesota Twins, sources told ESPN.

There are details to be worked out on the contract, but Hudson has chosen the Twins over the Indians and Nationals.

Hudson, 32, batted .283 for the Dodgers last season, with 50 extra-base hits and 62 walks in 149 games, and won the NL Gold Glove Award for second basemen. The Twins began to focus on Hudson at the end of last week, at a time when they had questions at second and third base. Hudson presumably has a chance to be slotted into the No. 2 spot in the Minnesota lineup, and hit in front of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4888089

and another one gone, god i love my mets did this off-season!

And its official...

Seeing a chance to fill the No. 2 spot in their batting order with a two-time All-Star, the Twins signed free agent Orlando Hudson to a one-year, $5 million contract, the team announced late Thursday night.

People at all levels of the Twins' organization had been giddy for days about the prospect of signing Hudson, 32, a four-time Gold Glove winner at second base who batted .283 last season for the Dodgers, with nine home runs and a .357 on-base percentage.

Three weeks before spring training, his list of suitors had shrunk to the Twins, Nationals and Indians. Those other two teams combined to go 124-200 last season, while the Twins went 87-76 for another division title.

MLB.com first reported that Hudson was close to a deal with the Twins, and ESPN added that it would be a one-year, $5 million contract.

The signing pushes the Twins' projected Opening Day payroll to about $96 million. Last year, in the final year at the Metrodome, they opened the season at $65 million.

The Twins were prepared to enter this spring with Nick Punto, Alexi Casilla and Matt Tolbert battling for their second base job. All three are switch-hitters like Hudson, but none has his offensive pedigree.

The No. 2 spot is crucial for any team, but especially these Twins, who have Denard Span leading off with Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau following at Nos. 3-4.

With the nickname "O-Dog," Hudson opened last year as the Dodgers' No. 2 hitter and was batting .336 on May 9. Then Manny Ramirez drew his 50-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. Hudson replaced Ramirez in the No. 3 spot, and the Dodgers hardly missed a beat.

Curiously, however, Hudson lost his second base job to Ronnie Belliard late in the season. Belliard was red-hot at the plate, and Hudson, who jammed his surgically repaired left wrist in late-September, did not start in any of the Dodgers' eight postseason games.

But Hudson is now saying his wrist is 100 percent healed.

He is a Type A free agent, but the Dodgers did not offer him arbitration, so the signing does not cost the Twins any draft picks. They also can move Punto into a super-utility role, where he's thrived in the past. He could split time with Brendan Harris at third base, while also spelling Hudson at second and J.J. Hardy at shortstop.

It's turned into a productive offseason for the Twins. Besides re-signing Carl Pavano, the Twins have traded for Hardy and signed free agent Jim Thome. Hudson gives them another big name in a big role as they prepare to open Target Field.

Twins sign Hudson to one-year deal | StarTribune.com

congrats on the signing should be a fun team to watch this year