Hudson? No, Kennedy.

by Phil Wood

I wouldn't get too emotional over Orlando Hudson picking the Twins over the Nationals, and the Nats ending up with Adam Kennedy to play second base.

I never saw Hudson as a true difference-maker. True, he's solid defensively, and a career .280+ hitter. But his production at the plate tailed off in the second half of 2009, and while he's two years younger than Kennedy, career-wise they're not that far apart.

Kennedy is far more of a stolen base threat, with 156 career steals compared to Hudson's 50. Kennedy's career average is just 5 points lower than Hudson's, .277 to .282. Hudson has the higher sluigging percentage, .431 to .391.

Their career fielding percentages are roughly the same, .986 (Hudson) to .983 (Kennedy), but the scouts I've spoken with in the past 24 hours think Kennedy is a better overall second baseman. Kennedy has 78 post-season at-bats compared to Hudson's 4, but that's more a function of the caliber of teams they've both played with.

There's no downside to this transaction. The Nationals were looking for someone to keep second base warm until Jeff Kobernus is ready to take over there, which I believe will be sooner than later.

Yes, Cristian Guzman remains at shortstop for the final year of his contract. Guzman is a player who routinely takes the field when he's banged up. We've known for some time his reluctance to voice complaints about his health. He is reported to be in the best physical shape he's been in for quite some time, but that type of rhetoric means little until he takes the field. Has his range at short improved since last year? We'll find out soon enouigh.

The last Kennedy to wear a Washington uniform was infielder John Kennedy, 1962-64. John homered in his first at-bat in the major leagues, and later was part of the trade that brought Frank Howard to Washington. Adam Kennedy's tenure in DC will likely be shorter, but hopefully memorable for the right reasons.