Report: Astros, White Sox, Rays among clubs interested in Cruz
With the general manager meetings underway, Nelson Cruz's market seems to be developing.
Among clubs interested in luring the veteran slugger are the Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports.
Cruz, 38, is coming off of a four-year, $58-million deal with the Seattle Mariners. With news that general manager Jerry Dipoto is open to "re-imagining" the roster, the likelihood of the designated hitter landing back there seems slim.
Despite his advanced age, Cruz continues to slug, reaching the 35-homer plateau for the fifth straight season with a slugging percentage over .500 for the sixth consecutive campaign.
Among American League clubs, the Rays, Astros, and White Sox ranked fifth, eighth, and 11th by wRC+ at the DH position last season, respectively.
C.J. Cron served as Tampa Bay's primary DH, posting a .253/.323/.493 slash line with 30 home runs in 140 games, while midseason acquisition Ji-Man Choi played 49 games down the stretch and owned an impressive .877 OPS. Both are under team control for next season.
The Astros relied upon a tandem of Evan Gattis - who made 451 plate appearances - and Tyler White - who made 237 trips to the dish. Gattis could leave via free agency, while White has yet to reach arbitration.
Finally, the White Sox used five different players at DH, predominantly using Matt Davidson and Daniel Palka. Davidson is a natural third baseman, while Palka is able to play outfield but is unreliable defensively.