While Hudson is almost four years younger than Abreu, he is coming off surgery on his left wrist, making him less of a sure thing. Unlike Abreu, Hudson also was offered salary arbitration by his previous team. As a Type A free agent, he would cost any team that signs him a high draft pick.

The Dodgers might consider sacrificing their first rounder for Hudson — they will receive a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds plus the Braves' second-rounder as compensation for losing free-agent right-hander Derek Lowe.

Still, it's not as if the Dodgers are desperate for a second baseman.

Blake DeWitt is set to return at the position, backed up by Mark Loretta. Veterans Juan Castro and Hector Luna will report to spring training on minor-league contracts. Tony Abreu, Chin-lung Hu and Ivan DeJesus Jr. represent younger options.

Hudson, if healthy, would be superior to all of those players, forming a dynamic double-play combination with shortstop Rafael Furcal. DeWitt, many scouts believe, is not quick enough to succeed at second, and Loretta no longer is an everyday player. So perhaps the Dodgers would jump if they could get Hudson on a one-year deal for say, $3 million.

The Nationals are the wild card in the Hudson sweepstakes. They gave Dunn far more than any other team was willing to pay, and could do the same for Hudson.

Anderson Hernandez, Willie Harris and Ron Belliard are the Nationals' current options at second. The signings of both Hudson and Dunn, combined with the potential return of first baseman Nick Johnson and previous additions of lefty Scott Olsen and left fielder Josh Willingham, would make the Nats far more interesting, if not formidable, in the NL East.

Opportunities abound for the few teams that still have money available.

After all, Bobby Abreu just signed for $5 million.

Texas Rangers News News » In a bad market, Manny may be out of luck
In a bad market, Manny may be out of luck
Last Friday, I wrote that the Dodgers were weighing a run at free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson but were unwilling to pay the combined price for both Hudson and free-agent outfielder Manny Ramirez. That was before the Angels signed free-agent outfielder Bobby Abreu for $5 million, providing fresh evidence of how the market has crashed for even accomplished players. Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, likely will dismiss as irrelevant both Abreu's contract and Adam Dunn's two-year, $20 million deal with the Nationals; Ramirez is a better hitter than both, not to mention bigger box office. Still, the Dodgers should hardly be embarrassed by their two guaranteed offers to Ramirez — two years, $45 million and one year, $25 million. Their second offer was five times more than Abreu received, and two-and-a-half times more than Dunn's average salary in his new deal. Is Ramirez, who turns 37 on May 30, worth that much more than those two players? Boras' answer undoubtedly would be yes but at this point, the fear of getting outbid would be the only reason for the Dodgers to go higher. The Giants, Ramirez's only other known suitor, say they want the slugger only if the "deal makes sense." The Angels bypassed Ramirez to sign Abreu. The Rangers are still trying to add a middle-of-the-order hitter, but not at a high price. Anybody else? At $25 million per season? If Boras can find another such team in this economy, bless him. Hudson, 31, is in a different market — the overloaded second-base market that also includes Mark Grudzielanek, Ray Durham and Adam Kennedy. But teams interested in Hudson can rightly ask, "If Bobby Abreu got only $5 million, how much less will Hudson receive?" Manny's new deal?