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Former Cardinals top prospect Dakota Hudson could turn things around with the Cubs
A former first-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals back in 2016, right-hander Dakota Hudson had fallen out of favor with the Cubs' archrival, leading to his non-tender last week.
He struggled in 2023, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen for the Cardinals and working to a 4.98 ERA, 5.06 FIP and 1.500 WHIP in 81 1/3 innings. Similar to Cimber, when he's at his best, Hudson works the zone well and keeps the ball on the ground. Even this year, when he struggled, he still ranked in the 86th percentile in terms of ground ball rate.
Once a National League Rookie of the Year candidate back in 2019 (when he finished fifth in voting), Hudson looked like he was going to be the next in what feels like an endless stream of Cardinals homegrown arms to dominate the Cubs. Instead, that equation could be turned on its head if Chicago brings in the reclamation project to bolster its staff.