The Pittsburgh Pirates added to the back end of their bullpen yesterday when they signed veteran set-up man Daniel Hudson to a two-year 11 million dollar contract. Hudson has had two Tommy John Surgeries and is looking for a bounce back year in 2017.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been looking to add to their pitching staff all off-season long as both starting pitching and relief pitching are a big need for this team. The Pirates addressed some of the relief questions when they signed veteran Daniel Hudson to a two-year 11-Million dollar contract yesterday adding to the back end of their bullpen.
Hudson pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season going 3-2 with a 5.22 ERA while striking out 58 and walking 22 in 60.1 innings of work. Hudson missed all of the 2013 season and most of the 2014 season after going through two Tommy John surgeries and he has been trying to fight back ever since. Once a top starter for the Diamondbacks, Hudson has had to move to the bullpen following his injuries and he is looking for a new start to his career.
Hudson features a fastball in the upper 90's that he uses effectively to mix in with his off-speed stuff. His average fast ball velocity a season ago was 96.44 mph which would fit nicely between Felipe Rivero and Tony Watson in the back end of the Pirates bullpen. With Hudson, you get a veteran pitcher who is looking to return to form following a couple of down years due to injuries.
One thing I really like about Hudson is his strikeout numbers. He struck out 58 batters in just over 60 innings of work last season and had a K/9 ratio of 8.65. Hudson will more than likely slide into the eighth inning role that Watson held and will use his fastball to get some key outs late in ball games, much like Neftali Feliz did last season for the Pirates. Hudson's walk numbers are a little higher than you would like to see from your set-up man with 22 in 60 innings of work, but Ray Searage will get a chance to work with Hudson and try to bring back his electric stuff that we saw in the 2011 season when he went 16-12 as a starting pitcher.
Another thing I like from Hudson is his passion for the game. This is something that cannot be measured by a stat sheet or a scorecard, but is essential for every good baseball team. When Mark Melancon started as the Pirates closer, you didnt see any big fist pumps or excited yells when he got outs. However, as he continued to close games for the Pirates that passion and excitement got higher and higher and now you see him yell in excitement every time he closes a game.
This fire is something you love to see, especially in the back end of the bullpen. It fires both the fan base up and the players around you. In watching videos of Hudson pitch, he wears his emotion on his sleeve and and gets fired up when he gets big outs. This passion will be a welcome addition to the Pirates bullpen and can light a fire under not only the pitching staff but the offense as well.
With Tony Watson scheduled to be the Pirates closer in 2017, Daniel Hudson will be the guy who comes in in the eighth inning to set up for Watson. However, if Watson does struggle as the closer, Hudson is a guy who can step in and take over the reigns as the Pirates closer. Watson only has one more year on his contract left and if the Pirates feel that they have to let him go, Hudson could step in and close in 2018 for the Pirates as well.
I personally love the addition of Hudson as it adds another strong arm to the back end of the Pirates bullpen. With a starting staff that is projected to be very young this season, it will be essential for the bullpen to perform at the highest level possible. The Pirates are trying to shorten the game with a reliable back end of the bullpen of Rivero-Hudson-Watson to give the starting pitching more of a cushion. Only time will tell if it plays out as planned, but for now the shark tank welcomes another big arm to feast on opposing batters.
No comments:
Post a Comment