Major League Baseball announced that former big leaguer Nelson Cruz has been hired as a consultant to the league, with the full title of special advisor for baseball operations. “Cruz will serve as a liaison for MLB on a range of issues,” the press release states, “focusing primarily on topics in Latin America, including the Dominican Republic and growing MLB’s existing player relations function.”
Cruz, 43, recently retired as a player. He had spent almost two decades as one of the most threatening power bats in the sport. From 2005 to 2023, he hit 464 homers, suiting up for the Brewers, Rangers, Orioles, Mariners, Twins, Rays, Nationals and Padres. He also frequently represented the Dominican Republic in international play, participating in the World Baseball Classic in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2023. He was the general manager for the D.R. team in the most recent tournament.
By playing for so long and bouncing around to so many teams, Cruz has crossed paths with far more people in the sport than the average baseball player, which seems to have endeared him to many. “Nelson Cruz is a respected voice in the game whose outstanding service to young people and those in need in the Dominican Republic earned him the Roberto Clemente Award,” says commissioner Rob Manfred in the press release. “Nelson is passionate about growing the game and improving issues for players and our sport as a whole. He will be a resource to many people across our game, especially in the Dominican Republic.”
Cruz himself seems excited about the opportunity. “I’m extremely happy to join Major League Baseball,” Cruz said as part of the announcement. “Since I signed out of the Dominican Republic as a teenager, I’ve cared deeply about the issues affecting that country, and the game as a whole. I’m excited to work with the Commissioner’s Office and the opportunity to work with young players by sharing what I have learned since I signed in 1998.”
Shortly after announcing his retirement in November, it was reported that Cruz had been hired by the Dodgers for an advisory role. It’s unclear if this new role will prevent him from working for the Dodgers or if he will be holding both jobs simultaneously. Either way, it’s clear that Cruz is interested in staying involved in the game as he moves into the post-playing phase of his life.
PED comments incoming…
Yes.
Well, it’s not like he didn’t get busted for them. Single-handedly knocked Detroit out of the playoffs twice because of them. Yet MLB sweeps it under the rug and they act like he’s some great leader. He’s a cheat. If Cano, Braun, etc got caught after MLB implemented testing and won’t get in the Hall, we shouldn’t paint Cruz to be this future Hall of Famer who never did anything wrong. I dare say that when he knocked Detroit out of the playoffs the first year of the Wild Card Round, he stopped a Detroit dynasty. I think Detroit could’ve beat the Giants and Scherzer wouldn’t have left, the team wouldn’t have started losing, and they wouldn’t have traded Verlander.
He single handedly knocked Detroit out of the playoffs? Really????
Only from the ignorant. If you knew the whole story, you wouldn’t bring them up.
Juice Bar Attendant?
So in the last year he has hired John Coppolella and Nelson Cruz.
liaison for the office of MLB’s drug testing program?
Well, he knows all the shortcuts (allegedly).
It’s fine for MLB to hire him, but his PED suspension should absolutely be mentioned in the story. Time doesn’t make it go away.
He didn’t molest a kid or beat his wife ffs
He’s actually a great person who has given a lot of money away and a lot of his time as well helping others. Look it up.
“He’s actually a great person”…Do you know him personally?…You sound like a guy who would defend anybody(as long as they’re a celebrity or celeb-athlete), sight unseen.
He’s given away money and his time to numerous charities. He has won awards for this behavior. Those are facts not opinions.
Now did you know that before I told you? Of course you didn’t. Now you do. And instead of acknowledging it you accuse me of celebrity worship. Nice……
“Of course you didn’t”..You probably never had an original thought that didn’t come from a celebrity or the Main Stream media, right pink?…You probably hide under your bed at night, in fear of “climate change”, am I right?
No. You are not right lol. I don’t know where you come up with this stuff.
Numerous people are saying Cruz is a cheater. I said some things to defend his character which were 100% TRUE and now you are weirdly attacking me.
I want people to be fair. To see things for what they actually are. That’s all.
Consider: Two different things can both be true.
We are too lazy to look it up
Who is we? You don’t speak for anyone else but yourself.
But but but astro fans are constantly saying how their ws champion cheaters should be forgiven bec its been so long. it happened ages ago, centuries ago
@Johnny Utah you are that guy that brings up anything unrelated, just so you can have attention. Did you want to mention LeBron, Trump, or anything else that’s not relevant as well?
At least PED users serve their time. Unlike some other cheats
If you knew the whole story behind the PED, you wouldn’t put two cents into worrying about it. But go off and spat envy and hatred while being willfully ignorant.
Was great to see him retire as a Mariner on opening day!
I wonder if he will help all of the young Latin American players with their “nutrition.”
You have to consume a VERY “nutritious” “diet” to be vastly better in your late 30s and early 40s than you were in your 20s, so start them early!
Tough times, indeed when guys need two jobs jus to pay the bills… But I get it, groceries cost at least $1,000 per day.
A thousand dollars a day for groceries? What are you eating?
@Drew Waters Bat
Only the best food. I thought everyone wanted the best? No?
r/wooooosh
He’s given away a lot of money to charity and philanthropic causes. Perhaps that’s why he needs 2 jobs.
He must have a dang good CPA. When they make so much money they need to donate a lot. Visiting hospitals can be a write-off from the raxes.
Are you saying he donates his time and money to charity for the tax write offs????
Lol sure fella……
Bad optics to make a PED guy an advisor and ambassador of the game. Shows young kids that illicit activities do not affect future employment
Do some research on the man. He’s actually a great person who has done a lot to help others less fortunate. He has won awards for this. Look it up.
Blackpink, fess up… you’re Nelson Cruz aren’t you?
Hey people know about the failed steroid test obviously. I bet they didn’t know about all the other stuff. I didn’t before today I just looked it up.
Knowledge is power my friend.
His off the field work has been great and deserves to be recognized. However, I would prefer MLB hire an advisor without ties to an on-field scandal.
JFK and MLK are generally regarded as American heroes.
They still cheated on their wives.
Ignorance at its finest. All this information at your finger tips and fools still choose to be blind.
Padres legend
You shouldn’t be allowed to whine about PED users unless you can beat them in a fight
Or at least strike them out…
HALL OF FAME!!!
HALL OF FAME!!!
HALL OF FAME!!!
“Hall of fame”…It won’t be long before the media opinion manufacturers and their millions of pro-celebrity sycophants begin pushing Cruz for the Hall of Fame.
Well David Ortiz is already in the HOF sooooo
“Well David Ortiz is already”…There’s millions of people in America that think minorities are inferior beings and cannot meet the normal standards, so they LOWER the standards(in education, employment and behavior) for them under the guise of “helping them”, which creates a caste system of lower-tiered and lowered political rights individuals.
Um, what?
David Ortiz’ head grew the most while in the bigs. And he even admitted getting busted for PED.
“David Ortiz’ head grew”…Alex Rodriguez called out David Ortiz for PED cheating, wondering why he was prosecuted and vilified while “Big Papi” was not. Apparently they had PED dealers/suppliers in common.
With 7 plate appearances, he will always be a Milwaukee Brewer to me! Ha!
For me I’ll always remember him for his gold glove defense in the World Series against the Cardinals.
Yeah Cardinal fans know the Rangers were a catchable ball away from winning that series.
THAT WAS A TOUGH ONE BLACKPINK
As a Ranger fan, I forgive him for his Game 6 blunder. I remember that he became Barry Bonds in the playoffs that year. (Yeah… The irony that happened after.) He deserved the name “Boomstick” only when he got hot.
Barry Bonds in the Hall!
Cheaters never win.
They get to keep playing and making millions of dollars while dating models and getting prominent post-playing career positions in the sport or the media covering it, also often making millions of dollars.
But, they never win.
Boomstick 23 foundation. Look it up. Nelson Cruz won the Roberto Clemente award in 2021. Again look it up if you need to. It’s not an award for dating the most models……
We should’ve strung him up, maybe drawn and quartered him, right? I mean he cheated at baseball and that makes you angwee
Nice strawman, but there’s a pretty wide gap between stringing him up and you slobbing his knob.
There might not be a better guy in all of baseball. I got to work closely with Nelly for 3-4 years. Truly a one-of-a-kind man. Keep him around baseball! It’ll only benefit the sport and the league!
I agree. It was more fun when hitting home runs were so easy. I am all for him being the head of PED testing!
I authorize this only if The Boomstick is hired as the special assistant to the special assistant.