ATLANTA -- The San Francisco Giants were in the market for a veteran pitcher to fill out their rotation, and they wasted little time by keying in on a guy familiar with the Bay Area. He only won 92 games, played in two All-Star games and finished top-10 in the AL Cy Young voting there from 1999-2004.
But Tim Hudson will not be heading back to the AL -- he'll stay firmly planted in the NL after signing a two-year, $23 million deal heading into his age-38 season coming off ankle surgery. Over the past few years, the sinkerballer was publicly labeled as the Braves' staff ace and there was ample interest from Atlanta's front office to keep him around next season as a part of a very good staff. However, it appears the hometown team wasn't willing to spend quite as much to keep him.
Hudson's departure is one part of what is expected to be big changes around the Braves' clubhouse, as the team's two most highly-visible veterans (Hudson and catcher Brian McCann) may have played their final games in a Braves uniform. McCann, like Hudson, is also an unrestricted free agent and is expected to draw a hefty price on the open market, particularly with AL clubs.
Chopcast: Tim Hudson's departure by Fox Sports South Podcasts on Mixcloud
