Rotoprofessor examines if Orlando Hudson's signing with the Dodgers imcreased his value as a fantasy option. He is rather cautious.

When it comes to my second baseman, I’d like him to bring something to the table in terms of counting stats.  Give me power potential.  Give me speed potential.  Give me something.  Unfortunately he brings neither, not excessively anyways.

He’s reached double-digit stolen bases once, but seems much more likely to be in the 7-9 range.  Yeah, it helps, but it certainly isn’t something that is going to make me jump at the opportunity to draft him.

He is a 10-15 HR guy as well, nothing more and nothing less. Again, that’s a nice number, but it isn’t going to win anything for you.  It’s solid, but not excessive.

When you compare him to someone like Polanco, things just don’t match up well.  If Hudson were guaranteed to fill the #2 slot, then maybe, but Polanco is guaranteed a spot hitting in front of Miguel Cabrera meaning he could continue to circle the base paths on a regular basis.  He has similar speed and a little less power to Hudson, but a significant potential advantage in runs scored meaning that Polanco remains a better choice.

This is why I will never be a successful fantasy player. It simply baffles me how a player that is so clearly superior can still be just as clearly inferior in fantasy terms.

Rotoprofessor also wonders who the Dodgers will hit second with Hudson, Casey Blake and Russell Martin being the options. Blake, in my opinion, should hit eighth (or ninth), he is clearly worst hitter in the lineup (how did he get three years and $17.5 millions again???), but Martin has a higher OBP than Hudson, so Hudson might indeed find himself in the #7 spot.

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