Report: Twins, Cruz agree to 1-year, $14.3M deal
The Minnesota Twins and free-agent slugger Nelson Cruz have agreed to a one-year deal, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.
The contract is reportedly worth $14 million and includes a $12-million team option for 2020 with a $300,000 buyout, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
Cruz, 38, spent the previous four seasons as the designated hitter for the Seattle Mariners before hitting the open market this winter. The six-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger has been one of the best hitters in baseball despite his advancing age and inability to play the field. In his four years with Seattle, Cruz authored a .284/.362/.546 slash line and led the league with 163 home runs.
Since beginning of 2015:
| Player | HR |
|---|---|
| Cruz | 163 |
| Khris Davis | 160 |
| Nolan Arenado | 158 |
| Giancarlo Stanton | 151 |
| Edwin Encarnacion | 151 |
| J.D. Martinez | 148 |
| Mike Trout | 142 |
| Manny Machado | 142 |
| Bryce Harper | 129 |
| Chris Davis | 127 |
With the Mariners undergoing a rebuild, a return to Seattle seemed unlikely at best. The Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros, and Chicago White Sox were also rumored to be interested in recruiting Cruz, who is coming off a four-year, $58-million deal.
For the Twins, Cruz represents the latest addition in a movement toward right-handed power bats, having already added C.J. Cron this winter and Tyler Austin partway through last season.
After surprisingly clinching the second wild-card spot in 2017, the Twins had a disappointing 2018 campaign, finishing 78-84, 13 games back of the division-leading Cleveland Indians.
Interestingly, Minnesota's new manager Rocco Baldelli, who became the youngest active skipper in MLB when he was hired in late October, is approximately 14 months younger than Cruz.