Report: Mariners' ownership nixed deal with Nelson Cruz last winter
The Seattle Mariners were reportedly poised to sign free agent Nelson Cruz to a one-year deal last offseason before ownership backed away and the beleaguered veteran signed with the Baltimore Orioles, according to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune.
“I still don’t know what happened there,” an official with a rival club said. “We were told it was done. And it seemed such an obvious fit for both sides. There was risk, certainly, but…”
According to Dutton, the Mariners' owners were skeptical over how the 33-year-old would respond after incurring a 50-game suspension in 2013 for his role in the Biogenesis scandal. Cruz subsequently inked a one-year pact with the Orioles after a reported one-year deal with the Mariners worth roughly $7.5 million with a club option for 2015 dissolved.
The Mariners, however, remain open to signing Cruz this offseason, as the impending free agent led the major leagues with 40 home runs this season while posting a 140 OPS+ over 159 games.
“Oh, I wouldn’t rule it out,” one Mariners official said. “We know what we need, and we’re going to go hard after one of those guys.”