San Francisco Giants: Can The Rotation Recover From A Poor 2013?
The Giants’ biggest acquisition of the offseason comes in the form of the 37-year-old Tim Hudson. Expected to fill the No. 4 spot in the rotation, Hudson has been around a while, beginning his career in 1999 with the Oakland Athletics. He, Barry Zito, and Mark Mulder were the core members of the one of the best pitching staffs assembled during the 21st century.
After moving on to the Atlanta Braves, Hudson continued his streak of durability and consistency, topping 200 innings in four out of seven seasons in Atlanta (not including his last year which was cut short due to injury). Looking for one last hurrah, Hudson will take the spot of his former teammate Barry Zito.
With Hudson, you know exactly what you are getting. At this stage in his career, he’s not going to wow you with his stuff. He is a location-oriented pitcher, built on surrendering ground balls. He is the consummate professional and will be a good role-model for the younger pitchers on the team. For a 37-year-old man, he is a remarkably conditioned athlete. Assuming he is ready by the start of the season, Hudson will be a huge upgrade over Barry Zito, providing the Giants with a steady presence at the back of the rotation.
Projected 2014 ERA: 3.97