• This past Saturday afternoon, former DC GM and current XM and FOX host Jim Bowden reported via Twitter that free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson, who's negotiating with the Washington Nationals according to several reports, was ready to drop his demands for a $9 million dollar a year deal, meaning, Mr. Bowden believed, that Washington, the supposed front-runners for Hudson, could then land the 32-year-old infielder they've been looking for with a $5 million dollar offer...On Sunday, the current DC GM Mike Rizzo, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, said he had heard no such news about Hudson lowering his demands, with Mr. Ladson writing on Twitter, "If Orlando Hudson is bringing his price down, that's news to #Nats GM Mike Rizzo," who, again, according to Mr. Ladson's Twitter said that he, "...and Orlando Hudson's representative haven't talked in a couple of days."
The Nationals themselves are doing all they can to lure Orlando Hudson to Washington, DC, (Washington Post writer Chico Harlan called them, "The Orlando Hudson fanclub"), speaking out once again in MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Nats players would welcome Hudson" wherein Ivan Rodriguez, Jason Marquis and Ryan Zimmerman let the free agent infielder know he'd be welcome in Nationals Park's home clubhouse. Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez spoke on the subject for the first time, (the first time he's had anything to say as a National, actually), telling Mr. Ladson:
"'He [would] help us a lot,' Rodriguez said. 'He [would] help [manager] Jim Riggleman, too. Having Orlando [would] be great. He is a very popular guy. He is a switch-hitter. He would help us.'"
As of late Sunday night, there was still no decision on Hudson's part as to where he'd play second base in 2010, but there were also no other teams mentioned as still being in the running for the defending Gold Glove winner, though the Colorado Rockies, who've reportedly been in the market for a second baseman all winter still haven't added one...Is Washington along in their pursuit of Orlando Hudson?