Daniel Hudson re-signed: Henry Blanco close

To start with Mr. Hank White, it would be a return to the desert fir Henry Blanco, who was the main backstop to Miguel Montero for most of 2011 and 2012, but spent last year with Seattle. This will probably be Blanco's final go-around at the rodeo, before he hangs up his spikes (and, quite probably, turns to coaching). He'll enjoy his 42nd birthday during next season, an age at which most catchers have already retired and spend most of their days grumbling about their knees. Even last season, Blanco was the oldest catcher in the majors by almost four years - he was born in August 1971, with the next being Jose Molina, in June 1975.

The fact this would be a minor-league deal suggests the team isn't perhaps entirely sold on the idea, and he may have to battle a younger 'un for a spot on the Opening Day roster. Don't expect offense: he hit .142 last year, and his OPS of .474 ranked Blanco 448th of the 453 players with 100+ PAs last year. But he seemed to have a positive effect on Montero, particularly Miggy's defense, and that was an area which was especially lackluster in 2013, when Montero seemed to spent as much time running towards the backstop as crouched behind the plate. If he can help Miguel get back on track towards justifying his long-term contract, we'll take the minor offensive hit.

Negotiations with Hudson appear to be closing in on completion. Piecoro says Hudson "is believed to be seeking a deal that would include a 40-man roster spot." I suspect this may be a service-time thing. I know it is generally accrued for time on the 25-man roster, but does continue to build for DL patients. However, I'm not certain what happens when a player is released and re-signed, while still injured - that's a much less-common situation. Considering he almost certainly won't play a game at any level until after the All-Star break, it probably isn't of much significance. After the Rule 5 draft, our 40-man roster is at 37, so certainly got room right now.

I will be curious to see how much we settle on with Hudson. This would be his first year of arbitration eligibility, but considering he hasn't pitched in the majors since June 2012, there would not typically be much of a case for any significant increase. However, rather than doing the bare minimum, it could be worth the team's while to throw some extra cash - a couple of hundred grand, peanuts in major-league salary terms - at Hudson, as a goodwill gesture. If he does recover, and becomes a worthwhile pitcher, that greasing of the wheels might end up being a good investment for future negotiations.

Update. It appears Hudson has been inked.

Pitcher Daniel Hudson has agreed on a minor league deal to return to #dbacks, says source. Terms unavailable.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) December 13, 2013