Tim Hudson wants a ring, and the Red Sox have won three World Series titles in 10 years, so the hurler and the Sox might be a good match.
CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman reports that the Red Sox are among several teams to check in on Hudson, and Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan reports that the interest is mutual.
This isn’t the first time that the Red Sox have been linked to Hudson, as it was reported earlier this week that Boston had reached out to the free-agent pitcher. But this certainly fuels the fire, especially given Hudson’s reported interest in the Sox. Heyman even added in his report that a person familiar with the Red Sox’ thinking said, “They really want him.”
According to Passan, Hudson is “tight” with David Ross and other members of the Red Sox. The relationship with Ross, of course, stems from the duo’s days in Atlanta. Hudson has spent the last nine seasons with the Braves, while Ross spent four seasons in Atlanta from 2009 through 2012. It’s interesting that Ross is part of the conversation because his name has also been tossed around in speculation about free-agent catcher Brian McCann, with whom he has a strong relationship.
The Red Sox, as it stands, already have six starting pitchers under contract for 2014 — Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey, Jake Peavy, Felix Doubront and Ryan Dempster. They also have a plethora of young hurlers capable of starting, including Brandon Workman, Drake Britton, Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa. If Hudson joins the mix, the Red Sox would likely need to make a corresponding move.
According to Passan, executives believe that Hudson, who is coming off ankle surgery, is in line for around a two-year, $24 million contract. The 38-year-old right-hander went 8-7 with a 3.97 ERA in 21 starts before going down last season, and he is 205-111 with a 3.44 ERA in 427 career appearances (426 starts).
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