Although Hudson never officially stated it during an interview with Yahoo's Jeff Passan, the infielder hinted that there is a racism problem in MLB, citing free agency as a prime example. Hudson said he feels that there is a racist element holding general managers back from signing and employing African-American players.
"You see guys like Jermaine Dye without a job," Hudson told Yahoo. "[Dye is a] guy with [27 home runs and 81 RBIs] and can’t get a job. Pretty much sums it up right there, no? You’ve got some guys who miss a year who can come back and get $5, $6 million, and a guy like Jermaine Dye can’t get a job. A guy like Gary Sheffield, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, can’t get a job.
"We both know what it is. You’ll get it right. You’ll figure it out. I’m not gonna say it because then I’ll be in [trouble]. Call it what you want to," Hudson added. "I ain’t fit to say it. After I retire I’ll say it. I’ve got a whole bunch of stuff to say after I retire."
The 32-year-old Hudson has been in the big leagues since 2002 and has bounced from Toronto to Arizona to Los Angeles before landing in Minnesota this offseason.
"There are some things that go on in the game that shouldn’t be going on — but it’s part of baseball. It’s part of life. Deal with it," Hudson said. "We don’t even get into it. We both know what it is."
