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2009 DIAMONDBACKS SEASON PREVIEW - PART IV

* LOOKING FORWARD - Having once been a team of veterans drawn from other clubs, Arizona enters 2009 with a roster whose players are predominantly young and of local origin. For most of these players, the coming season will be their third together as a group. The experience of developing as a team is rare in modern baseball, where free agency and trades shuffle almost every organization's roster annually.

Indeed, the Diamondbacks have not been immune to turnover on their pitching staff or in the field. Several key players are gone from the 2008 edition. Unable to work out a new pact with the club, Randy Johnson has taken his quest for 300 wins to San Francisco. Orlando Hudson has joined another division rival, signing on to play second base with the Dodgers. A third NL West team, the Padres, have made David Eckstein their starting second baseman. The Nationals reached a two-year agreement with Adam Dunn, who will play first base in Washington. Ex-closer Brandon Lyon joined the...

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Tags: Brad Penny, Brandon Lyon, Brandon Webb, Chad Qualls, Chad Tracy, Chris B. Young, Chris Snyder, Colorado Rockies, Conor Jackson, Dan Haren, David Eckstein, Derek Lowe, Detroit Tigers, Doug Davis, Eric Byrnes, Felipe Lopez, Jon Garland, Jon Rauch, Juan Cruz, Justin Upton, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, Mark Reynolds, Max Scherzer, Orlando Hudson, Randy Johnson, Ryan Roberts, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Scott Schoeneweis, Stephen Drew, Tom Gordon, Tony Pena

Written by PHXMLB, on April 5th, 2009 at 4:08pm

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Lost Dog: Hudson Gone for Season, Maybe for Good

With the news that Orlando Hudson underwent surgery late Saturday night on his dislocated wrist, the Diamondbacks again find themselves missing their star 2B for the stretch run of the season. His is a critical loss during what Arizona hopes will be a second straight NL West championship campaign.

The club will still benefit from his leadership in the clubhouse, but the ODog's presence on the field cannot be easily replaced. He is an absolute witch with the leather, invaluable for a team whose leading pitcher is a groundball specialist. And while his modest power makes him an unlikely No. 3 hitter, Hudson played that role for the Diamondbacks. That a guy who has never surpassed 15 HR or 67 RBI in a season batted third in the order 97 times says a lot about Arizona's 2008 offense.

The Diamondbacks will be hard pressed to replace Hudson's glove or his .305 / .367 / .450 line. As they have no choice but to try, let's consider some of the options on the table.

Reports...