Wednesday is Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz’s 40th birthday, but that doesn’t mean the six-time All-Star is closing in on retirement. On the contrary, Cruz suggested to Phil Miller of the Star Tribune that he still has enough gas in the tank to play beyond the 2020 campaign.
“I don’t see it [soon],” Cruz said of calling it quits sometime soon, and he went on to state that “my body is in good shape, and I’m doing everything I can to keep it that way. Why would I retire?”
Indeed, based on the eye-popping offensive numbers he has put up over the past few seasons, Cruz doesn’t look like someone who’s anywhere near the finish line. Cruz was a force with the Mariners from 2015-18 over 2,558-plate appearance tenure in which he slashed .284/.362/.546 (147 wRC+) with 163 home runs, and he only got better a year ago.
Owing to his age and his inability to factor in as a defender, Cruz didn’t secure a multiyear guarantee in free agency after his time in Seattle ended. He instead inked a one-year, $14.3MM deal with the Twins, though that contract did come with a $12MM club option for 2020. The Twins exercised it this past offseason, which was a no-brainer in light of the production Cruz posted in Year 1 in Minnesota. While Cruz only played in 120 games, his fewest since 2013, he still managed to amass 41 home runs across 521 PA and slash .311/.392/.639 – good for a personal-high wRC+ of 163. His HR total played a major role in the Twins setting a single-season record with 307.
Although Cruz is seemingly dead set on playing past 2020, that doesn’t mean he’ll continue to don a Twins uniform. Cruz is a pending free agent, and if he turns in another banner year and the National League keeps the DH going forward, he could encounter a robust market for someone his age. The Twins have shown interest in extending Cruz, though, so perhaps those talks will pick back up now that the league has lifted its freeze on transactions.
As a lifetime Ms fan, he was one of the best things to happen to them. I hope he plays for 10 more years and crushes it. An absolute beast at the plate. I’ll root for the Twinkies if the Ms don’t make it
Well then, … you’ll be rooting for the Twins.
Wishing him the best too. Was great for the Ms and Seattle. Wish we could have kept him but it didn’t make sense right now. Go Ms or Twins
He’s the energizer bunny of baseball. He just keeps going and going.
The comments should just stop right here! Nelly has his personal best season wRC+ at 40 years old, Forty! Yet 85% of the comments are spent on arguing about a mistake he made nearly a decade ago, a mistake I think he should get a pass on seeing he suffered so much from his error in the WS game 6 vs the Cards.
Aww a fan wants to forget one of his biggest idols is a cheat. Who’s shocked?
Not many like him are around. Great hitter. Reminds me a of another Mariner named Edgar Martinez (little more power). When he comes to bat, you pay attention!
Always killed my Angels.
Even with his advancing age, as long as he still hits like he has for the past 5-6 seasons, he’ll find a job as a DH on a short term deal, and even more so with the likelyhood of it being implemented in the NL.
He’s been very consistent for 11 years. Too bad his career didn’t take off until his late 20s. He’d be a no doubt hall of famer if he started mashing a little sooner. I love that he is known for being a leader and helping young players turn into stars.
Well and the roids…….
Amazing how fans love to forget
AMAZING how there’s people whose life are full of negativity and they just look at the negative things on other people
I love Cruz as a ballplayer but it is valid that he would probably be considered a fringe HOF guy if he could keep raking for a couple more years. But history shows he probably will never make it due to his connection to the biogenesis scandal. Being realistic sometimes requires being pessimistic.
He wanted to talk HOF. If you ignore steroids for HOF consideration, you’ve been living under a rock
People tend to forgive/forget when guys come out and don’t deny it, even if they give the cliche “it was in a product I was using and I didn’t know, I would never knowingly take steroids”. At this point, I think less and less fans care when a guy gets caught using roids, as long as they don’t pull a Braun or A-Rod and deny it at first and act like an a$$.
Briiffle ….So you can cheat If you admit it? Loser way to justify your hypocrisy
You’re an idiot and a you’re making it sound like I’m saying it’s OK for guys to cheat.
All I said was that people have been more forgiving and forgetful for those who used steroids and admitted it then those who denied it. How is that statement incorrect? Why do people hate Braun so much? Why does no one care that Dee Gordon got busted?
If you’re a big star and you deny it like guys like Bonds, Braun, and Palmerio, people will never forget it. You own up to it even without saying that you used it, and people tend to move past it.
Not really a hard concept to grasp and don’t put words into my mouth that I didn’t say because you don’t get it.
Then I’ll proudly be an idiot lol…. but don’t go back now brother. You made the case for guys who admitted it. Yea you did! You are right I did put the part about being ok in there myself. But your post was about how fans forgive guys who admit it. Admit it or don’t admit it, it’s not of significance. Yea….. I don’t care for dee Gordon either. The reason bonds and Palmeiro don’t think they did nothing wrong was because they played in a time where they weren’t about to give that edge up because so many others used. Why would bonds be the superior player and watch a guy like Brady Anderson crack 50? He said screw you Brady I can hit that too! Not saying what they did was ok, it was ALL cheating. But to make a case for telling the truth? Who gives a crap man ……… signed…… idiot lol
Btw briff …… get a new picture, you look like an idiot lol.
Also, briffle, I know where you were going with the thought about people forgive/forget.
But Cruz wasn’t a saint in that regard either. He was fighting the suspension until Braun got his. THEN he admitted to the test.
So was he telling the truth? Or just backed into a corner? I know what I think….
I like Cruz. But it is strange how a rod is a villain and Cruz is a good guy. Bonds is bin laden and Ortiz is the pope. Ortiz doesn’t have near the numbers of a bonds or Alex Rodriguez. Definitely not in the counting stats because you could tell he was just an above average player until he went to the Red Sox and in his late twenties something changed…. wonder what it was? New scene? New coaching? All that rest?
It wasn’t the rest it was the test, and Nelson had a similar production curve. I like nelly but let’s be real.
The double standard is amazing.. ppl actually want Ortiz in the hall. If he gets in and bonds, Clemens, and Alex don’t…… what a disgrace.
Add to that, the hitters I named were more complete players. On the pitching side everyone loves bartolo(I do as well), but he’s not Clemens lol. It’s really laughable and not even close. The hypocrisy of ppl….
Amen
You can’t tell the difference between someone who made a mistake once, owned it, and moved forward from someone who repeatedly cheated and fought punishment?
Regarding production, Cruz took off after opening up his stance and never looked back. His issue was never a lack of power, it was vision/pitch-recognition and being able to adjust his hips. Take a look at video before and after. Shouldn’t be hard to see the difference.
And that still holds true today.
Hmm. Cruz’s suspension was in 2013. It has been since then that he has been really mashing the ball. It IS different. His main success has not been roid driven.
Good point Stevil
Another difference. Bonds is not a nice guy. Cruz, by all accounts, is a great guy.
And I suppose you have been perfect all your life? Now whose being the hypocrite Warisalie?!
I really like Cruz too but YES YES YES I do see what your saying War-
Ortiz- got keys to a city for a decade
ARod -gets Jenny from the block and an instant seat in the booth
Cruz – Is Fun….Remember the Boomstick commercials?
Bonds- Guy that burned your village and dragged your sisters into the bushes never to be seen again
Complete BS !!!! Bonds is a GOD……He is one of the greatest baseball players to ever live………And Im a Dodger fan !
Furthermore i’ll say – The Hall of Fame needs Barry Bonds more than Bonds needs the Hall of Fame
This is the baseball equivalent to cancel culture.
Remember when he had a 1.713 OPS and single handedly knocked that stacked Tigers team out of the playoffs in 2011?
Pepperidge farms remembers.
If Bonds isn’t in, Cruz should not be in. Cruz has been busted once, and sorry everyone, he’s still on it and beating the test. Do I have proof? No. But let’s use common sense (if some of you have some). Bonds, by the way, zero positive tests. That’s one less than Cruz. But Cruz is playing clean pushing 40, right?
His numbers aren’t good enough anyway. Want to forgive Cruz? That’s fine. Hall of Fame? Let’s stop with that talk.
Cruz keeps in excellent shape. You have nothing to base your comment on.
Martevious you have no idea if his training regimen is better or worse than the other 600+ major league players. Stop that.
There is evidence that he keeps in great shape. Teammates, when he was on the Mariners, said that. There is no evidence that he is currently using any illegal substance.
Bill, his routine doesn’t have to be better, there are a number of elite players in the game that workout just as intensely. But there is in fact video. Here’s one of many: youtube.com/watch?v=0UQ8JeNdUzU
Now, go ahead and try to argue that this couldn’t help explain why he’s as good as he is.
You do know steroids are the exact thing that helps improve a training regime…?
You don’t just bulk from steroids. You recover faster. What you do from that is on you as a player and a trainer
Let’s not pretend his ability to play into his 40s means he is now clean. That’s a big jump for a guy who was already busted once and DID NOT just say “yeah I did it”. He ONLY came out after Braun got suspended and he realized he was getting one too, test or not. So let’s all pump our breaks on Nelson Cruz the saint.
He had a great PR team after the fact….
Do you think you’re offering something I don’t already know? You aren’t. In fact, his excuse was based on recovery (he stated he was trying to recover from massive weight loss due to a parasite).
He initially denied it. He wasn’t tested and the PED in question was relatively new to the banned substances list. I think he was knew and was scared, but in the end, he still owned it, didn’t he?
He has been tested numerous times since. Players who are suspected of PED use, or have tested positive, are subject to more frequent testing.
I’ve seen his workouts and I’ve studied the changes he made (and the explanations detailing how they led/lead to improvement–which I’ve already detailed).
That’s good enough for me. If you think he’s guilty without evidence, good for you. But I’m not interested in hearing any more without evidence.
I’m not here to proclaim I know 100% anything.
I simply said his ability to stay in good shape into his 40s is just as likely proof he is still juicing In some form than saying “well he’s produced for the last decade Since this so he’s clean”….. that’s a bigger assumption than anything I’ve said
Further, I think it’s a joke people say he came clean. He came clean when he was backed into a corner. Is that really coming clean?
Or… is it realizing you’re out of moves given Braun just got 65 games and Maybe you should take the suspension before MLB turns it attention fully to you?
I know Cruz is fun to root for. He hits the ball far. That doesn’t mean everything he’s done is clean and doesn’t change that he was NOT honest about cheating until he was beyond caught…. I mean, dude, he was going to arbitration to fight it then suddenly backtracked only after Braun. He wasn’t admitting squat on his own. Cmon that’s not owning it
By your logic, Braun eventually owned it too? He fought for 19 months and dragged an innocent man thru the mud, but 3 years later he said “he made a mistake”… that’s not owning it. That’s making a PR statement. Sorry you’re so gullible
Here’s your argument, Stevil: It’s quite possible Cruz is taking an illegal substance to prolong his career and allow him to work very hard at the young age of 40.
Commonsense already put you in a bodybag. I don’t need to add to it. Cruz does NOT work at his craft any more or less than the next superstar.
He probably never worked harder than Barry Bonds.
Oh that’s tasted good. Thank you! Finally someone credits Bonds for his insane work ethic. Thank you!
Ejemp they opened that door with Cruz, so why not keep it open for Bonds? His work ethic was apparently well documented in Pittsburgh. I cannot believe these people aren’t the least bit skeptical on Cruz, a late-bloomer in Texas and suddenly putting up monster numbers in Seattle of all places? Are we kidding here?
Cruz never tested positive either, yet he still owned his mistake. Since 2013, he’s been tested regularly–all with negative results–and here you are suggesting you know better. Ironically, you suggest you’re using common sense while failing to do basic research or offer evidence to sell everyone what you’re suggesting.
Maybe–just maybe–the adjustments he made 8 years ago, along with the negative test results since his suspension and a disciplined routine & diet, do better to explain the kind of player he is than your assumptions.
Tip: Get your facts straight and try wording your ideas softly. Mouthing off in a condescending tone hasn’t gotten you anywhere.
Cruz was suspended 50 games for violating MLB’s drug policy. He also admitted to using. Not sure if you live on planet earth or care to bring real knowledge rather than excuses, but your act is getting tired.
Here’s another tip; he was tied to Anthony Bosch. Maybe – just maybe- he’s still using and beating the test. That’s NEVER happened before. Every person that’s every tried to cheat has been caught. In Stevil’s world, absolutely!
Your words have no meaning because you have no clue what you are talking about. Facts are your friend. Stop trying to fight it.
So, when I said he “owned his mistake”, that was me stating that he accepted his punishment and admitted his involvement. The point is that, like Bonds, he never tested positive, and unlike Bonds, he took responsibility.
Those are the facts. You suggested he tested positive and that he was in the same boat as Bonds. He’s not, I stated why, and now you’re making a bigger fool out of yourself… rudely.
You also suggested he is still using something… without evidence.
Im sure the day Bud takes the mic and owns up to benefiting off steroids and sweeping it under the rug is the day Bonds feels the need to take the mic also-
You cant chastise Bonds for not openly coming clean imo –
Love um or hate um he’s right to not want to willingly fall on the sword while everyone else reaps the benefits in their safe tall buildings
Great words!
I don’t disagree. The point wasn’t to criticize Bonds, it was simply to point out the differences between the two.
Yea I just dont think it proves anything either way-
I mean if you wanted to use an example perhaps lying to Congress would have been a better one.
Barry deserves better
Stevil talking facts when he can’t admit Cruz was lying to fans for months before being forced into a bs PR statement. Hahahahaha omg dude you’re unreal
He didn’t own anything till he had to. That doesn’t get you a metal in the real world
Also known for giving a gift to the Cardinals, a world series championship!
Have to think that if the universal DH goes into effect for the 2021 there will be a lot more team vying for Cruz’s services.
He’s an amazing guy.. the story on ESPYs was heart warming. I do wonder about being so late in career an seemingly getting better. It could be real. But history has proved otherwise. It’s hard to tell. He’s got hof numbers but he did get clipped for steroids. Likable and nice doesn’t always equal clean
Preach brother! So true
Yeah..it’s not like they players for it.
Does anyone think Cruz is a Hall of Famer yet? Ranger fans may not think so considering his outfield defense.
He’s ranked 578th in WAR.
Not yet, but he has over 400 HR’s now and what he’s doing at his age is unique. I think he should and will be in the conversation by the time he retires, whenever that happens.
Not yet? Try never.
You should take a break from making definitive statements.
You should take a break from typing.
4 more years, 4 more years (with my Twins, of course…)
Big, strong man with a short quick stroke is rare in this game. With his swing and knowledge of the game, Cruz will be able to play as long as his legs hold up.
He hit 307 Home Runs in one season?!?!
The Twins hit 307.
I can’t imagine there’s been much testing in the DR for the last few months. I’d imagine plenty of guys like Cruz will come back strong as an ox and crush the ball this year. He’s already been nabbed once.
He doesn’t live in the DR in offseason. Resides in New York and became US Citizen in 2018.
One of the best values in all of MLB and he doesnt even have to bring his glove to the field-
If the NL goes DH 21 and beyond I would LOVE to ink Nelson as a Dodgers fan
Well, we know the Dodgers have been looking for right-handed power.
Not hard to see that happening. Might be his best shot at a WS title as well.
We sure have and although I think id be more risky (I would have def gone after Donny this year) We both know Dodgers love the short term deals-
Fried would cream himself with a 2/22 or 1/12 here next year–
I just hope Mlb will be courteous to the Nl teams and give them ample heads up be4 free agency on the plans moving forward. I know this is a little tough bc of CBA complications but its unfair to NL teams if still cloudy at that time
You guys are unbelievable.