Washington Nationals: Daniel Hudson and his turbulent 2019 season
Daniel Hudson spent the 2019 season on 3 different teams before ending up with the Washington Nationals, who are now 4 wins away from a World Series trophy.
On Tuesday, October 22, 2019, the Washington Nationals will take part in the World Series for the first time in franchise history. At the end of the bullpen bench, you will find Daniel Hudson, who is probably just as surprised as you to see his name on the World Series roster.
Hudson began the 2019 season in the Los Angeles Angels spring training camp, vying for a spot on the bullpen through a minor league contract with goals of being on the 25 man roster. While the Angels took a look at the right-handed reliever, he would be released by the squad on March 22.
He was then signed to a one year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, a $1.5 million dollar contract that would add some depth to a bullpen hit by the injury bug to begin the season. He would ultimately make the roster, but fans knew his time was limited in Canada.
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The Blue Jays were in a rebuild, and their strategy over the past two seasons was to acquire depth option bullpen arms to trade at the deadline for younger, controllable players who may or may not pan out on the big league stage. Acquiring Daniel Hudson fit into this mindset, especially since he crafted a very respectable 3.00 ERA with 48 innings pitched and 48 strikeouts.
He would be traded to the Washington Nationals for Kyle Johnston, a projected major league reliever at best. This would be the door Hudson was looking for to make his mark that season. A playoff-contending team needing some bullpen arms to take the organization to the promised land, and Hudson made the most of the opportunity.
He would pitch in 25 innings for the Nationals during the regular season, crafting a stellar 1.44 ERA and racking up 6 saves in the process. He would be entrusted to close out the NL Wild Card game against the Milwaukee Brewers and has appeared in 6 games so far this postseason, giving up 0 earned runs and striking out 5 along with 4 saves.
Baseball is a funny game in a lot of ways. At the start of the season, Daniel Hudson was tossed aside by a team that wouldn’t even make the playoffs by the end of September. But here he stands, one of the bright spots in the Nationals bullpen who is doing his part try and get the organizations first-ever World Series trophy.
There is a 100% chance that Daniel Hudson will face the Houston Astros multiple times throughout the series, and might be utilized in the later innings to either shut down or save the game if necessary. He has been absolutely dominant when brought late into games and has gained the trust of skipper Dave Martinez to be used in high leverage and high-stress situations.
This can only be a positive point for Hudson, as he will be a free agent at the end of this season and I am sure a few teams will line up to offer a more lucrative contract his way than the $1.5 million he is earning this season.
Next. Blue Jays: Mark Shapiro is on the chopping block this season. dark
God speed Mr. Hudson; the baseball gods are certainly in your corner.