If Jhonny Peralta's contract proved to be alarming to some, Nelson Cruz's asking price will likely cause some jaws to hit the floor. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Cruz is seeking a four-year contract worth $75MM.
Cruz, a client of the Wasserman Media Group's Adam Katz, has drawn interest from the Mariners, Mets, Athletics and Rangers, according to Heyman. That the Phillies had some early interest, says Heyman before noting that they'd likely have to trade someone to clear a spot for Cruz in the wake of their Marlon Byrd signing.
The 33-year-old Cruz hit .266/.327/.506 with 27 homers in 109 games (456 plate appearances) before being slapped with a 50-game suspension for PED use that he admitted took place prior to the 2012 season. As we saw in the case of Peralta's four-year, $53MM contract with the Cardinals, teams may be less hesitant to commit large dollars to previously suspended players than most have anticipated. Still, a $75MM contract for Cruz would shatter most pundits' expectations and likely lead to considerable cries for stricter punishment for PED users.
40 HR and 108 RBI later….