Hudson contract nearly done

Good news, good news: the Braves and Tim Hudson are supposedly near the completion of a contract extension that'll keep the lefty in Atlanta at least through 2008. He'll likely get a three-year deal worth $11 million annually, plus at least two vesting option years tied to innings pitched. The contract is expected to be finished by the self-imposed Tuesday deadline Hudson set.

I like the potential deal on a number of different levels. He's one jim dandy of a starting pitcher- and a lefty to boot- so I see him as a valuable, productive, non-distracting addition to both the rotation and clubhouse. We'd get him long-term at a fair price, very much unlike the albatross that is Mike Hampton and his bloated, immovable contract. (What is he signed for, like 14 more years or something?) And on a level that motivates my own personal sensibilities and beliefs, the guy wants to sign with Atlanta because he'd like to play with a winning organization in an area he calls home, knowing he could easily command the big Yankee bucks next season. In today's "money-first" sporting world, that type of behavior never ceases to amaze me.