2:34pm: O'Brien and MLB.com's Mark Bowman have more comments from Hudson.
WEDNESDAY, 10:38am: O'Brien spoke to Hudson, who termed Rosenthal's portrayal a misunderstanding. Hudson still hopes to work out a multiyear extension with the Braves.
TUESDAY: Braves pitcher Tim Hudson is expected to choose free agency "barring a last-minute, knockout offer from the Braves," according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal says the Braves are likely to exercise their half of Hudson's $12MM mutual option for 2010, but Hudson would rather decline his side and seek a larger guarantee. Hudson is projected to fall just short of Type B status, and if that holds up there would be no point to an arbitration offer.
Back on September 24th, ESPN's Jayson Stark found it "all but certain" that Hudson would return to the Braves next year. Earlier that month Hudson told MLB.com's Mark Bowman he'd be glad if the Braves picked up the option. Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote that Hudson and his wife had "put down roots" in the Atlanta area. What changed in the last few weeks?
I'm not sure Hudson is judging the market correctly. He recovered from August 2008 Tommy John surgery to make seven starts this year, posting a 3.61 ERA. He'd be turning down one year and $12MM for perhaps two years and $16MM guaranteed on the open market (my best guess). On the other hand, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs believes the market will value Hudson more highly than that.
