Daniel Hudson thought the door was closed on returning to the Nationals when they signed fellow reliever Will Harris.
But Hudson wanted to be back with Washington, and general manager Mike Rizzo shared the same sentiment. So, Hudson and the team agreed to an $11 million, two-year deal that was finalized Tuesday.
Hudson gets $5 million this year and $6 million in 2021. He can earn $1 million annually in performance bonuses for games finished: $200,000 each for 30, 40, 45, 50 and 55.
Not long ago, the bullpen was a major weakness. Now, the reigning World Series champions can deal from a position of strength by turning to Hudson, Harris and holdover Sean Doolittle.