Orioles' Cruz on re-signing: 'I want to come back, no doubt'
Soon-to-be free agent Nelson Cruz is likely to have no shortage of suitors come this offseason, but the 34-year-old outfielder is hoping to remain with the Baltimore Orioles.
“No doubt it’s there,” Cruz told Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun regarding his desire to return. “I want to come back, no doubt. Just wait and see what happens.”
Cruz turned out to be the steal of free agency after inking a one-year, $8-million deal with the Orioles in February, finishing the regular season hitting .271/.333/.525 with a league-leading 40 home runs to go with 108 RBI.
The 10-year veteran carried his career-year into the postseason, before the Orioles were swept by the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS.
Cruz boasted earlier in the season about how his teammates welcomed him into the clubhouse following his 50-game suspension for PEDs a season ago, and that brotherhood is one of the main reasons why he hopes to re-sign.
“Yeah, I love the clubhouse,” Cruz said. “I love all my teammates. The whole organization is great from top to bottom, even the guys you don’t see every day. They are amazing. They treat us the right way. … It makes every game more easy for you. They find a way to get it done. I appreciate that.”