Tim Hudson is one of the Giants’ “chief targets”

Tim Hudson is one of the few free agents I can remember who actually signed with a team near where he grew up, so it’s probably not smart to totally dismiss the idea of him wanting to stay in Atlanta. But the dude was young and rich in the Bay Area once upon a time too, and probably enjoyed it, so maybe -- if a sense of “home” matters to him -- this from Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle makes sense:

One of the Giants’ chief pitching targets is Tim Hudson. Two potential obstacles to signing him appear to be non-issues now. First, sources said, the Alabama native and Georgia resident is willing to move across the country again to pitch for the right team. Second, the Braves apparently offered him a contract with a significantly smaller salary than he earned last year, one he is not inclined to accept.

I really don’t get the Braves lowballing Hudson after so many people on the team -- players and manager Fredi Gonzalez -- have talked about wanting him back. But then again, if we’ve learned anything this week it’s that the Braves are gonna zig when you think they’ll zag.

But of course in all seriousness, hometowns and the desires of people without skin in the game matter very little when it comes to free agency. It’s almost always about the money.