Breaking down the best of what’s left in the MLB free-agent market

15. Daniel Hudson

Desperate for stability in the ninth inning (or any relief inning, for that matter), the Washington Nationals traded a low-level minor leaguer for veteran right-hander Daniel Hudson at the trade deadline. With All-Star closer Sean Doolittle struggling all year, Hudson was eventually forced into duty as the closer. He had minimal experience in the role in his first nine years in the big leagues.

Hudson turned out to be a godsend for the reliever-starved Nationals. He appeared in 24 games down the stretch, saving six and posting a 1.44 ERA in 25 innings with only four walks allowed against 23 strikeouts. The trend continued into the postseason, where Hudson was nearly flawless. He did struggle slightly in the World Series, but allowed only four runs in 9.2 innings of relief in the postseason.

It has been an interesting career so far for Hudson, who broke into the league as a promising starter in 2010. He was 24-14 with a 3.18 ERA in his first two full seasons at the MLB level but ran into injury troubles in 2012. He missed the entire 2013 season and most of the 2014 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Over the last five years, Hudson has carved out a nice second act for his career as a reliever, appearing in 314 games with a 3.94 ERA. The 2019 season was his best since transitioning to a relief role. That he hasn’t come off the board yet is a bit surprising, but teams may not be willing to pay him like a closer given his limited experience in the role and underwhelming strikeout rate.