Luis Cruz Signs With Chiba Lotte Marines

TODAY: The deal will actually pay Cruz $850k, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, and includes $150k in incentives.

YESTERDAY: Infielder Luis Cruz has signed with Nippon Professional Baseball's Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan, the team announced on its web site (Japanese link passed along by Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times on Twitter). According to a report from the Associated Press (via ESPN), Cruz will earn $750K on a one-year deal.

Cruz provided a surprising spark to the 2012 Dodgers when he batted a healthy .297/.332/.431 with six homers and 20 doubles in 296 plate appearances, proving to be one of the better minor league pickups of that season. However, his production took a nosedive in 2013, and he slashed just .145/.190/.179 in 187 plate appearances between the Dodgers and Yankees. A client of John Boggs & Associates, Cruz will turn 30 years old in February.