As the Twins’ miserable season has continued, there’s been increasing talk of them operating as a deadline seller over the next three weeks. Nearly every contender will ask about Jose Berrios. There’s been speculation about the availability of Taylor Rogers. Josh Donaldson has been connected to the Mets. Michael Pineda is a pending free agent who could help quite a few rotations.
Over the course of the next few weeks, though, Nelson Cruz will be one of the highest-impact trade candidates to monitor. The seemingly ageless slugger is having yet another excellent season, slashing .299/.372/.553 (147 wRC+) with 18 home runs, 11 doubles and his first triple since 2018. Cruz’s 18.8 percent strikeout rate is the lowest it’s been since 2010. He just celebrated his 41st birthday, but he remains one of the game’s top threats at the plate.
Cruz is a free agent at season’s end, playing out the 2021 campaign on a one-year, $13MM contract. As of this writing, there’s about $6MM remaining to be paid out on that pact. By the time the deadline rolls around, Cruz will be owed about $4.5MM for the remainder of the season.
A bat of Cruz’s caliber will surely be in demand, but perhaps not to the extent one would imagine at first glance. As a pure designated hitter, he’ll face a more limited market than most trade candidates.
A National League club could technically acquire Cruz to DH during interleague play and serve as a vastly overqualified pinch-hitter, but it’s unlikely anyone is going to put Cruz in the outfield with any regularity. He hasn’t played an inning of defense since 2018 and has just 54 innings in the field since the conclusion of the 2016 campaign. It’s hard to ever fully rule something out as front offices get increasingly creative, but it seems overwhelmingly likely that if Cruz is moved, it’ll be to an American League club.
Of course, not all 14 American League clubs will be in play. None of the Rangers, Royals, Tigers or Orioles are in contention. The Angels aren’t going to displace Shohei Ohtani from the DH slot, nor will the Astros do so with Yordan Alvarez. The Yankees have Giancarlo Stanton serving as a primary DH. The Red Sox are enjoying the heck out of a resurgent J.D. Martinez campaign. The Indians have Franmil Reyes, and the Twins may not want to ship Cruz to a division rival anyhow.
On that note, it’s worth pointing out that there’s a decent fit with the AL Central-leading White Sox. Yermin Mercedes faded considerably after a torrid start to the season and was optioned to Triple-A this week. But the Sox have Eloy Jimenez on a rehab assignment, and he’s likely to see at least some time at DH as he eases back into the mix after surgery to repair a ruptured pectoral tendon. It’s also generally hard to imagine the Twins trading Cruz to the White Sox in order to help the South Siders seal up a division title for which Minnesota originally hoped to contend.
There are a few clubs that seem like the clearest fits if the Twins move Cruz. Here’s a look at what each of these teams has received from the DH spot in its lineup in 2021, followed by a more thorough look at the potential fit.
- Athletics: .220/.289/.381, 88 wRC+
- Rays: .226/.314/.411, 103 wRC+
- Blue Jays: .240/.321/.429, 104 wRC+
- Mariners: .237/.320/.421, 108 wRC+
Athletics: No contender in the American League could use a DH upgrade more than Oakland. Their offseason signing of Mitch Moreland has resulted in a .238/.286/.388 batting line through 175 plate appearances to date. As a team, the A’s rank 12th in MLB with 394 runs scored — 94 fewer runs than the MLB-leading Astros, whom Oakland happens to be chasing in the division.
The question with the A’s, as always, is one of payroll capacity. For most of this past offseason, it looked as though the A’s wouldn’t spend much of anything on the 2021 roster. Their late signings of Moreland, Sergio Romo, Yusmeiro Petit and Trevor Rosenthal boosted payroll up to $86MM — still well below the league average but not quite the threadbare levels seen in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Cleveland. Whether ownership would dish out another several million to rent Cruz for two-plus months remains to be seen, but even if the salary is deemed steep, the A’s could always pay a little more in terms of prospect capital in order to get Minnesota to cover some (or all) of the contract.
Rays: The financial element is perhaps even more notable with the Rays, who are currently operating on just a $62MM payroll. Tampa Bay also has a better in-house option than Oakland in the form of Austin Meadows. The 26-year-old Meadows can and has played some corner outfield this season, but the Rays have more defensively gifted options in Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot, Randy Arozarena and Brett Phillips.
Meadows has been the club’s primary designated hitter this year, logging 53 percent of the the Rays’ total DH plate appearances. On the whole, Meadows has been a productive hitter with a .243/.335/.485 batting line, 16 home runs, 23 doubles and a triple. However, he’s been mired in a down stretch at the plate, batting .231/.300/.374 over the past month. Cruz is an upgrade even over Meadows at his absolute best, but the Rays’ “need” for Cruz feels less acute than that of the Athletics.
Blue Jays: Adding Cruz to a lineup that already features Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, George Springer and Marcus Semien doesn’t really feel fair. Bringing Cruz into the fold would likely push Randal Grichuk back into a fourth outfielder role behind Springer, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez. Early in the year, it would’ve been difficult to justify taking at-bats from Grichuk. He got out to a blistering start, batting .289/.322/.497 through the first two months. Since the calendar flipped to June, however, Grichuk is hitting .220/.244/.423 with a 29.1 percent strikeout rate in 127 plate appearances.
The Jays’ priority to this point has been the bullpen, and that will likely continue to be a point of focus for general manager Ross Atkins. That said, it never hurts to further strengthen an already potent lineup. If the prospect price for Cruz is to the Jays’ liking, they’re one of the few AL clubs that is both contending and has an easy path to carve out regular at-bats for the Boomstick. Unlike the A’s and Rays, money shouldn’t be an issue for them.
Mariners: A Cruz reunion tour with an unexpected contender in Seattle would make for a fun story for the final months of the season. Seattle is far from a postseason lock, but the Mariners are four games over .500 and just three and a half games out of a Wild Card spot. Much of the focus surrounding the Mariners has been on whether they’ll trade Mitch Haniger, but if they continue their hot streak — they’re 15-7 over their past 22 games — this is a club that could actually look to add some pieces.
The focus for Seattle would probably be on more controllable players who can help in 2022 and beyond. Starting pitching, in particular, will be the Mariners’ primary desire — as manager Scott Servais suggested this week. But if the Mariners can acquire Cruz without paying a price they feel will compromise a very promising long-term outlook, he’s a sensible upgrade. The move would be overwhelmingly popular with fans, and the Mariners have taken a potpourri approach at designated hitter this year anyhow. Ty France leads the team with an even 100 plate appearances as a DH, but he could be slotted into the lineup regularly at first base/second base for the balance of the 2021 campaign.
A’s Sox or even Mariners
-.a////
White Sox have Eloy. No need for Cruz.
Most likely, Eloy will be ice cold to start. You can’t reasonably expect him to be fully ready this season.
Eloy has time to warm up.
Not signing Cruz!
Well you can’t ‘sign him’ as he’s already under contract with another team.
I see two clubs, the A’s and Jays. Obviously an injury from another club the next couple of weeks could change things. I surprise could be Boston if for whatever reason they don’t bring up Juran. Kiki goes to second, Verdugo to center and JDM who has played a decent left moves from the DH slot. Arroyo becomes the super utility guy. I don’t see this happening but if the price was minimal, why not? Too bad JDM can’t play first.
No way the Jays do it. Memories of Kendrys Morales are too fresh to take on another full-time DH, it really hamstrung the whole roster. And they like to give Guerrero and Bichette days off their feet, and help out a pitcher sometimes by DHing Gurriel.
The thing is Cruz can still rake. Funny thing is can we all see another injury to Stanton and the Yankees sweep in? That happens and their fans start barking about another right handed slugger. He reminds me of Papi or Cespedes in that he can carry a club for a month.
You still remember Kendrys Morales??
Our cleanup hitter for our best teams has always been a DH. Edwin Encarnacion..
But also Dave Winfield and Paul Molitor (he batted 3rd, but close enough).
Nelson Cruz would be awesome at 4 or 5 and makes this lineup the lineup it should be.
Cruz, along with Springer and Semien are the veterans needed to stabilize the hitting and score runs every single night.
A’s have no payroll and don’t want to increase it for a 2+ month rental!
Yankees won’t add his payroll even if Stanton gets injured yet again. They need a starting caliber CF if anything. My guess is they will be sellers this year though. Too many injuries and Chapman/Cole pitching woes have wrecked their season. Unless they go on a 10 game tear they will be looking for prospects for the few valuable pieces they have.
Your likely right. I was just trying to bring out how fickle Yankee fans can be. Each AL team has needs and the Yankees will not be active buyers unless the other AL East teams all mostly lose the next three weeks. if that happens, they gain ground on everyone AND Stanton goes down, they would gladly take Cruz if the cost was minimal, the tax money somehow fit and their other needs could not be filled.
Cruz would of course make the jays better but shouldn’t the priority for them getting both another starter (4 and 5 starter could use an upgrade) and a pen arm?
We remember Morales. We also remember the Jays signing a second DH in Steve Pearce trying to hide him in LF. Then re-signed an aging Jose Bautista who needed to DH, forcing him to play RF. That DH slot was anchored and did not allow guys like Tulo or Donaldson to occasionally DH when necessary.
Yes, we remember the 3-year deal the Jays handed Morales. It wasn’t a smart move on their part.
You trade for Cruz, no more DH stints for the position players. Does that matter? It might.
I don’t know, dewey. It seems you’re the one who introduced the false narrative here, so maybe you’ve inadvertently told us something about Red Sox fans?
@sportsfreak
The article covered that. The Twins pay most or all of Cruz’s salary, the A’s give the Twins better players
Yankees won’t be sellers because they have nothing to sell. Four players on expiring contracts (Gardner, Kluber, Britton, O’Day) and three of them are injured. They could try to sell high on Taillon, German, Urshela, and Torres, maybe dangle Judge and see if anyone bites but most likely the team they have right now is the same team they have at month’s end
He’s not going to a division rival of the Twins- no team in MLB wants to help a division rival!
Toronto or Seattle!
ahhh yes the old division rival argument. You seriously think the twins wont take the best possible package because it could be from a division rival. Cruz is 41 how many years do you really think he’s back another year or even 2
Doubtful but look at the Yankees, Boston and AO. Cashman thought the savings that could be reinvested and allow the team to remain under the threshold offset those rival concerns. if a Central team is willing to give them something that will help them next year and beyond more than other offers, such has to be considered. There has to be an overpay but if there is, it has to be considered.
Nelson Cruz for Taylor Trammell straight up.
You’re welcome
I doubt Cruz’ value is that high honestly
Then you haven’t seen Trammell try to hit big league pitching.
Juan Then or Levi Stoudt seems more likely.
Then what?
Finish the season Juan game out of the playoffs.
Stoudt prediction
He didn’t reacquire Then just to flip him. Hes a top 10 prospect. Too much for Cruz
Then isn’t untouchable but he won’t be dealt for a rental. This all depends on Minnesota’s asking price. Jerry won’t sell the farm for Cruz, but the team IS poised to package several high end prospects for an impact MLB player, should they so desire. Jerry is pretty shrewd and has been protective of “his guys” that he drafted and or brought in.
I do think a one for one with one of our talented but thus far underwhelming players, ie a Trammell, Dylan Moore, Evan White, I COULD see something like this happening, if Minnesota is just looking to take a plus flyer and dump the cash.
Nobody is trading for White right now. He’s guaranteed contracts through his arb years.
I agree that it’s not likely Evan gets dealt. But he’s an example of a plus talent clearly requiring further development and is CERTAINLY expendable. He does have a nice deal friendly to a weak hitting “prospect,” but he’s arguably been the best defensive first baseman in baseball since last year, and the Mariners have the ability to eat some of that guaranteed money.
Then has only made it to A+ ball and he has had a rough year. He is taking up a spot on the 40 man and will likely move to the bullpen next year to try to speed up his development. He is not as valuable as he was 2 years ago. Then for Cruz would be a pretty accurate guess on what the return on a rental DH would be.
What are u smoking dude ?? Trammell has star written all over him. Yes he has struggled in a very very minute sample size but absolutely destroyed AAA pitching. It will come to him. And I hope when it does he’s still a mariner
My thoughts exactly. Bring nelly home, dude loves it here. Crushes the ball here and would give the kids a great clubhouse piece. The Mariners are coming…laid the wood on the angles last night even after Marco didn’t really have it.
Who are the Angles?
With Rosenthal out for the season, could insurance on him help to pay for Cruz?
Fisher is probably counting on any insurance payout just going into his account.
Do we know if they had insurance on him?
If there was a universal DH, Cruz would be the bat I’d want the Mets to acquire.
Mets fans have been hot after Cruz for what feels like 10 years now…
If people had tales like chimps, I think hanging from trees would be an excellent form of exercise.
Chimpanzees do not have tails. No apes do.
They also rarely tell tales, except maybe in The Jungle Book.
Source: his nephew
Please, Mariners! Find a way to bring him back soon.
Toronto should see if they can get Cruz and a pitcher as well, Twins will have plenty to offer
The Yankees are the biggest disappointment. The Twins could be #2 on the list.
No, the yanks still have hope for the playoffs the Twins died
Nah, the first game the Yankees lose, they become a disappointment to most NY fans.
They (ny) did come back from 10g back at the AS break to win the division 1 time, but that was over 40y ago and during a time of open check book policy, 2 really good teams in the entire AL. Things a LOT different now than then, even with 4 more PO teams now per league.
White Sox or A’s are the most logical obvious choices. Rays don’t have a set DH by design but you never know. The Indians with all of their injuries have stayed alive and certainly Cruz in the middle of the lineup with Jose Ramirez, Eddie Rosario and Franmil Reyes would be fun to watch. The Red Sox could use the offense but don’t need J.D. playing LF every night. The Yankees have enough DH types already. The Blue Jays will need the DH to help rotate AB’s for Hernandez/Grichuck/Gurriel/Springer/Dickerson and the Astros have no real need with Alvarez/Brantley sharing LF/DH duty
White Sox have already said Eloy will be a DH for the rest of the year. There’s no real fit there. A’s and Rays are the best fits, imo.
He’s not going to a division rival- no team wants to help a division rival- White Sox are definitely out!
Toronto or Seattle, and I’m a National League fan!
I like Cruz as part of a blockbuster to the Jays . Berrios/Rogers/Cruz to the Jays for … Any Twins fans have a realistic ask for those 3? Pearson/Groshans/Van Eyk get it done?
In my opinion, there’s no way Toronto trades Pearson. Facing him in person, he was the toughest and most uncomfortable at bat I’ve ever had. He has big time stuff
If he can harness his control and get over the frequency of injuries. Pearson is a classic risk/reward trade off.
Also to make the inclusion of Cruz work they would have to have another trade lined up for one of Hernandez or Gurriel Jr. Maybe Gurriel Jr + a prospect in the 12-15 range for Byrant/Kimbrell.
Just spit balling here but those 2 trades would make the Jays one of the most potent teams in baseball.
Ji-Man!
Fake ass ji man
Moreno has never brought in a known PED user, even without Ohtani, there is no chance he’d become an Angel.
There are other teams who also care about such things.
The A’s and the M’s don’t seem to care who they bring in.
True, the Angels just prefer players who get away with their PED use.
No evidence of that. But there is plenty of evidence you are a troll.
They just like the sticky stuff!
All players use PEDs. To think any think else is denial.
Frank Thomas didn’t when he was playing !
Everybody liked the sticky stuff.
Uh…yeah. Sure. Just like Tony Gwynn and Ken Griffey, Jr. never used them.
Nah.
At one time, I would have agreed with you, @Nebraska. But not in today’s MLB. Look at all these injuries & rapid declines in early/mid 30’s. For better or worse, PED use seems to be pretty low right now.
I’d like to see the NFL model in baseball. Flag a T count above 25, but anything below that just ignore it for…well, whatever reason it is. Nobody cares that everyone playing professional football is quite obviously running gear. Should be the same in baseball.
Same as saying you stink as an athlete so put down all that are!
Actually, more like the Angels don’t bring in/roster players who use drugs of the performance enhancing variety…let’s not act like Moreno is some holier-than-thou owner.
He may not be holier than thou, maybe it’s just marketing. He dropped Hamilton faster than a hot potato for relapsing. I suspect he knew about Glaus rehabbing with PEDs and didn’t so much as say goodbye when he became a free agent. Mathews was caught with HGH and he got rid of him and never marketed him.
He has never even sniffed at bringing in a known PED user. He’s not the only one.
I think fans know if their owners care about such things. That limits potential Cruz suitors.
I’ve always thought Napoli was traded because of PED use. That hip issue he developed was a tell tell sign of long term steroid use.
Just a theory, I have no evidence. But the Arte/Sosh regime seemed very anti steroids.
In a word HaloHeaven…. Yep.
Your assessment of Napoli makes sense. Not saying that’s accurate, buy it makes sense.
It’s one of the reasons I’d bet my house that Moreno did not know about Skaggs drug use. If he did, Skaggs would be alive today.
Wasn’t it the angels where that dude overdosed on the road and died ? There’s some 90%+ chance he was masking. He was using hardcore drugs over the road- that’s a sign u have a serious on-going habit and mlb drug testing caught none of that.
These dudes mask all day long and mlb turns a blind eye to it. Doesn’t always work, but it’s always going on
I oftentimes find myself agreeing with your takes, @bot.
This – however – would not be one of those tines. Lots of poor understanding & wild speculation.
His Name was Tyler Skaggs and he died from opioid overdose. MLB didn’t start testing for it until after his death. Lots os speculation on your part.
That’s mlb making excuses for their own negligence and a damage control statement. If your on opioids than you smoke pot and do several other things that mlb can and does test for. Masking technology has always been more advanced than the drug testing technology.
But if u need more evidence – just put it in perspective. If you are player entering a contract year with millions on the line – you aren’t going to pursue every advantage possible ? Sure not every one, but with the sticky stuff – mlb players came out and put the % at 90. It’s happening on both sides of the ball
So.
Just so I’m clear on this.
Your assertion is – that despite lots of evidence to the contrary – 90% of all MLB players are in fact using PEDs in conjunction with some unnamed “masking agent”.
Correct?
Semien/Bichette/Vlad/Springer/Cruz/Hernandez would be an insane top 6.
The more I think about it (!) the more it starts to make sense. The ask on Cruz can’t be too high given his rental status, so why not go all in on an already elite offense if the higher end pitching trade candidates are going to garner too much prospect capital in return. I’m not saying don’t make some low key pitching upgrades as well, but if Ross doesn’t feel comfortable giving up too much at the deadline, it’s not a bad Plan B.
An added bonus would be keeping him away from the A’s and Rays, the 2 teams ahead of the Jays in the WC race.
Also true, I guess the real question is what do you think the asking price would be? Two 35+ prospects?
I was thinking someone in the low to mid 20’s and a guy in the 40+ range.
Sorry, I was referring to Field Value re 35+, but yea that seems about right to me.
I just can’t imagine the jays locking up their DH spot, but could be wrong.
Getting Cruz would also mean they have a trade partner for an OF, which will be tricky on its own.
Not sure why Jays fans are so worried about keeping Grichuk/Gurriel in the lineup or trading them.
After a hot start Grichuk hit .231/.242/.413 in June and July hasn’t been any better. Gurriel has been a below average hitter this year and not good defensively. They are both the definition of a 4th OF for a contender.
Cruz should come relatively cheap with little competition for him in the trade market. And slotting him behind Vlad in this lineup would be spectacular. The top 6 would be insane… and Kirk, Biggio, Grichuk/Gurriel is a strong bottom 3.
He would make them easily the best offensive team in baseball.
Dexxter
Exactly ! and keeping Cruz from A’s/Ray’s could mean a swing of 2-3 War in the Jays favor which might mean everything come late Sept.
Cruz is on an entire different level then Morales or Pearce or anyone since Edwin . It’s not like they would have to give up Moreno to get him.
Jose Berrios/Trevor rogers make sens to the Padres for a top Prospect and secondary mid level quality prospects something like the Clev or Nola trade. The years of control and affordability are there for the padres championship window in my opinion. I can see them moving Weathers or Campusano and then adding reggie lawson Jorge ona or josh mears something like that
I’d like the Rays to get him.
Oh I remember Nelson Cruz in the outfield. 2011 WS as good as a hitter he was and is he might have cost his team a championship. 1 out away……
1 STRIKE away, TWICE.
Joel…..
That’s not a might have cost them a championship. He DID! He should have caught the last out of that game to win the World Series against the Cardinals.
Red Sox
Shift JD Martinez to 1st and rotate Cruz and Martinez between 1st and DH. Red Sox need better production from 1st
Athletics
White Sox
J.D. has never spent a minute at 1B in his ML career and you want to move him there to bring in an even older player than he is?
Cruz hasn’t eother….could be interesting to watch.
Yeah, who would want Cruz mashing at 1B with his OPS over .900 in the lineup.
Red Sox clearly have 1B covered..
.221 with an OPS of .684 Dalbec
Or Santana hitting .167 with an OPS of .522
Santana, Gonzalez, and Chavis all have an OPS under .600
It’s fine. Red Sox obviously dont need better production from 1B if they want to make a playoff run.
Then they need a First Baseman not two DH’s that have never played the position in their careers
Martinez has played OF 16 times thus season.
Putting him in at 1st isn’t that complicated of a position switch
I’d trust Martinez at 1st more than I would in the OF.
Why do all of this when you could trade for the other Twins player… Josh Donaldson! He can play 1B.
Nelson Cruz- rental
Signed a 1 year 13 mill contract. So Red Sox pay whatever else is owed or ask twins to eat salary
Josh Donaldson- 2.5 years left at 21 mill each.
2021- whatever left of 21 mill
2022- 21 mill
2023- 21 mill
2024: club option for 16 mill
Idk if the Red Sox want to take on the contract and money in his 36 and 37 season.
The A’s and Jays seem to make the most sense, but it would be fun to see the Mariners decide to go for it and nab Cruz if the price is right. If Seattle stays hot they should absolutely think about being buyers… but smart shoppers. They appear to be building a nice foundation in Seattle, and they shouldn’t trade their whole future away this year.
Most obvious PED user since Big Papi.
If he’s going to continue to get the same free pass Papi did, I can see trading for him. But if there’s even a remote chance he gets tested after you acquire him, yikes.
You do realize you get tested even more frequently after you fail a test right? I’m sure this guy gets tested multiple times a year. If you don’t think he is, then let me get what you’re smoking. He been clean for years now. You do realize you have to continue using steroids for them to be affective? You don’t take them then they are affective 7 years later. When you stop taking them, the effect of them wears off within six months to a year. Do some research. I’m not saying it’s right to use them, but this guys isn’t benefiting from them anymore. Argue it all you want. You’re wrong. It’s that simple
Yes, hence Papi saying he got his results mailed to him several times a year. Of course, you only get results mailed to you if you test positive.
Yet somehow the dude kept on playing. How?
The Therapeutic Use Exemption is a massive loophole (A-rod had a prescription for testosterone at one point) and the DR guys face little to no testing back home. Cruz has at least one angle he’s working.
So, either Cruz and Papi figured out ways to do what no other human beings have done. Or they are both PED cheats. I know where I’m betting.
You do realize that no non-PED users, ever, in the history of baseball, have continued producing at the same levels into their late 30s and 40s as they did in their 20s, right? None. Zero. Of all the Hall of Fame players who have ever played. But your position is that Nelson Cruz “has been clean for years,” and has figured out what no other player ever has, or has found the fabled fountain of youth? Or could it possibly be that he’s figured out a way to beat the tests? Gee, that’s a tough one…
I totally agree with you but there was one. Rickey Henderson. No way he took PEDS. The way he spoke his body was a temple and went above and beyond to take care of it.
1. Warren Spahn
2. Nolan Ryan
3. Jamie Moyer
4. Tommy John
5. Hoyt Wilhelm
go off king. nelson cruz is a cheater and any team that wants their team to acquire him is no better than the cheating stros they love to hate on so much
you can hate cheating and not care that cheaters are on your team. i dont nessicarily like all of the players on my favorite team, but that doesnt mean they dont provide value.
A’s
isnt Moreland a good 1B? wouldnt it make sense for Oakland to deal Moreland to a team like, say, NYY whose 1B situation has been shaky due to injury, then deal for Cruz.
Oakland has used Moreland 6 times at 1B this season. He can play okay in the field, but there is a reason for the low number.
The reason is matt Olson
Moreland is decent at 1B but Matt Olson is far superior offensively and defensively. I would like to see the A’s trade for Cruz and then the Sox trade for Moreland. Mitchy Two Bags hasn’t hit since leaving Boston and a return to fenway might do him some good. He could platoon with Dalbec and the Sox could send Danny Santana packing (i know many would say Marwin but thats not happening with Cora around)
Cruz on the rays would be lethal
I would love the Mariners to reunite with boom stick. He excelled there and they really should of kept him.
I’d like to see Pineda come back too. I often wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t been traded to the Yankees (for Jesus Montero, ugh) and gotten hurt.
The A’s seem like the best fit. They stand 3.5 games up for the last wildcard slot and have the pressing need. Oakland just will need to give up better talent for the rental so Minnesota eats some of the cash. It won’t take their best prospect but a top 10-15 type and a lower end prospect likely gets it done with Minnesota paying a portion of the bill.
If you’re a team in need of starting and/or bullpen help (like the Cardinals) do you try to construct a three team deal with Cruz going to the third team? And you pick up all of Cruz’s salary, minus the prorated minimum, and have the acquiring team pay more in prospects to maybe cut down how much you have to give for Berrios and/or Rogers? Just some food for thought. Might have to try something new to get a deal done.
Excellent point, I was wondering this about the Reds as well, although lol, I doubt they’re swinging any big deals this season.
Back in like 09 or so Nelson Cruz was at at&t park and I yelled at him in Spanish to hug the line and he didn’t and whoever was batting smashed it down the line for a double. Hubris
Please, Mariners! Just find a way to bring him back soon!
Nelson Cruz to A’s for Cash and PTBNL. I don’t know who the A’s have for their DH. It would be cool to see him make the A’s stadium look small. Don’t know the name of the stadium either. They’ve changed the name like 3 or 4 times the last 7 or 8.
Twins will get a better return than that and don’t need cash.
With Springer back in the lineup Cruz isn’t needed. Would be a great bat to have. Allowing the DH spot to be open allows the team to cycle through all 4 outfielders along with Vlad, Bo, Biggio and Semien. That is over if they acquire Cruz.
Why do they want to keep cycling Grichuk and Gurriel though? Both have been average at best this year and would make great 4th outfielders.
This lineup is much better with Cruz in it and one of them on the bench.
Agreed it’s not their first priority… but if you can add him for a relatively low cost I think it makes a tonne of sense. If you adding hi at the expense of adding to the pitching staff though of course that wouldn’t be smart… but highly doubt it’s an either or thing.
If Teoscar was a better defender I would agree wholeheartedly. He and Gurriel are problems out there. That is the one thing Grichuk can provide. Add Springer’s injury issues and you need Grichuk.
All cycle through DH to give rest. All 8 players I mentioned will want that. There is a bigger need defensively on the left side of the infield as Biggio looked bad again last night. Cruz cannot fix that.
What are they doing with Dickerson? Foot problems won’t help him in the outfield.
Jays are arguably the best hitting team in baseball without Cruz. Why aren’t they holding a playoff spot? Pitching and defense. Right now Donaldson would be a better fit for the Jays needs than Cruz, hideous contract aside.
I agree with you on almost everything. There are definitely bigger needs. I just can’t imagine the cost to acquire Cruz will be much and the value to the team would be pretty big replacing Grichuk/Gurriel in the lineup with him.
And I’d be surprised if the players want to rotate through the DH. In my experience most guys I played with would fight to be in there every day. It may be smart to run them through the DH but if you told that locker room you could add Cruz and his very strong left handed bat… they would all be fired up.
Cruz isn’t a left handed bat.
A’s and Rays make the most sense but not sure either team is willing to do that w/ their org philosophies- maybe Oakland. Pretty good chance he actually doesn’t get traded because there just aren’t many teams he fits on and NL is out of the equation.
The fact is: he’s an old(but really good) DH.
Not alot of teams have a fulltime slot for him.
Hand full of teams could use him.
Limited market, limited return.
Not gonna get a premium player(period)!
If I was the Jays I’d give up an OK prospect for him.
Riley Adams and a lotto ticket prospect maybe?
Twins have 0 catchers in their top 30 prospects. Adam’s would be a good fit for them organizationally.
The jays still have corey dickerson on the il, so bringing in cruz is a moot point.
While I know there is no real fit, I’d love to see him in Boston which would move JD to the outfield and verdugo to center allowing Kiki to play as a super utility man. Just imagine an order of kiki/arroyo , verdugo, bogaerts, martinez, devers, Cruz, renfroe, Vazquez, dalbec
Boston should trade a bunch of 17 year old Dominican Republic specs for Mancini.
I think TB is where Cruz winds up.
Cruz gets a lot of s*&t but his late career performance has been nothing short of phenomenal. I am looking forward to when he reaches 500 bombs.
He’s already been suspended for steroids during his career. Performing like this at 41? Fair or not, he’ll always be suspect.
I agree buck. Best to just assume they all cheat. Who wouldn’t in a contract year ?!?
Give me the pill that turns Banner into the Incredible Hulk and I’d still never come close to Cruz #s
Hoping Rays get him.. They’ve been after him the last 2 or 3 off seasons but kept getting out bid
Twins best to trade him in a combo package. If they trade him alone- it’s prob for a fringe top 10 organizational prospect
I can’t find any mention of Cruz having a no-trade clause, which makes him high value to the Shamrocks because almost every player has a ‘no-trade to the Shamrocks’ clause. I can see the Shamrocks paying a heavy price for someone like that because he is one of the few players they can get. Looking at their farm system, a deal like Woods-Richardson, the guy they got from the Mets, a AA catcher named Moreno, and Austin Martin, who they drafted last year, could be the start of a package for Cruz.
The Mariners should trade some B prospects to the Nationals for Max Scherzer and then trade for Nelson Cruz. Move Ty France to first if the Mariners can’t get Kris Bryant in a trade. The Mariners can also afford to trade a draft slot for a year along with cash considerations to sweeten a deal
You honestly think Seattle would pony up the cash to sign Scherzer to an extension to waive his no-trade clause? Or that he would even want to go to Seattle?
More likely Scherzer stays put and either Washington re-signs him in the winter or they get a draft pick from whoever he signs with if he leaves
Yes, I do think they would pony up the cash for Scherzer. Why wouldn’t they? They have the money to do it.$60 mill for three years would be a good deal for both sides. Seattle can outbid most if not all the other teams for Scherzer this year if it were to go to the offseason but the Nationals don’t look like a playoff bound team this year and the Mariners have the prospects