With salary figures being exchanged today, several teams have agreed to terms with their players on contracts for the upcoming season.
The St. Louis Cardinals came to an agreement with right-hander Dakota Hudson this afternoon.
The two sides agreed on a $2.65 million deal for 2023.
Hudson came to the big leagues in 2018 after being drafted by the Cardinals in 2016.
He was originally used as a reliever, but ultimately earned a spot in the team’s starting rotation in 2019.
He missed most of the 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, but returned late in the season with two strong outings.
2022 was a bit of a struggle for the right-hander, as he went 8-7 and had an ERA of 4.45.
Mark Feinsand and John Denton provided the news of Hudson and the Cardinals reaching a deal.
#STLCards and Dakota Hudson reach a pact. Hudson was 8-7 with a 4.45 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) in ‘22. The club has high hopes for Hudson in his 2nd full season following Tommy John surgery in ‘20. Hudson threw an 8-inning, 1-run gem last Sept to provide hope going forward. https://t.co/Gqy0qbAzhU
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) January 13, 2023
Hudson appeared in 27 games, starting 26 of them in 2022.
He was moved to the bullpen late in the season and was also sent down to Triple-A Memphis.
But upon his return, he provided solid work out of the bullpen.
As mentioned by Denton, an eight-inning, one-run gem in September is something that gave the Cardinals hope for the future.
Hudson will have a chance to compete for a job in the starting rotation in spring training.
St. Louis’ projected rotation features Miles Mikolas, Jordan Montgomery, Adam Wainwright, Jack Flaherty, and Steven Matz.
Hudson is likely set up to claim a swingman role in the bullpen, occasionally making a start if need be.
He’ll be a free agent after the 2024 season.
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