Nelson Cruz Stats
- Height / Weight
- 6' 2" / 230 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 7/1/1980 (42)
- Experience
- 15
- College
- None
Nelson Cruz Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Nelson Cruz News
The San Diego Padres and free-agent designated hitter Nelson Cruz agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal on Wednesday, pending a physical, according to sources familiar with the deal. Cruz wants to win a World Series ring and was willing to take less money to play for a contender. He is also familiar with general manager AJ Preller from their days in the Texas Rangers organization. Boomstick looked his age (42) in 2022 with the Washington Nationals, hitting .234/.313/.337 with only 10 home runs, 64 RBI, 50 runs scored, four stolen bases and a 23.6% strikeout rate. Cruz ended the year on the injured list and eventually needed surgery on his left eye, but he should be good to go for the start of the 2023 season. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect a whole lot from the seven-time All-Star in what is likely to be his final season, but he could provide some modest power numbers as a part-time DH in his new digs.
The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Tuesday that the San Diego Padres are among the teams interested in free-agent designated hitter Nelson Cruz. Padres general manager AJ Preller and Cruz were both with the Texas Rangers organization earlier in their careers. The 42-year-old finally took a step back in 2022, slashing .234/.313/.337 with 10 home runs and 64 RBI in 507 plate appearances. However, until 2022, Cruz had managed to hit for elite power late into his career and still hit the ball harder than most during his down season. His DH-only eligibility limits his fantasy value beyond the potential production decline, but there may still be something left in the tank for Cruz.
As expected, the Washington Nationals declined designated hitter Nelson Cruz's $16 million mutual option for the 2023 season, which makes him a free agent. The Nationals will pay a $3 million buyout, in addition to his $12 million salary during the 2022 season. The 42-year-old dealt with blurry vision late in the season and ended up having surgery on his eye. Perhaps that was why Cruz struggled so much in his lone season in Washington, as he hit just .234/.313/.337 with 10 home runs, 64 RBI, 50 runs scored and four stolen bases in 448 at-bats. It was one of his worst seasons in over 10 years, which begs the question: Is Cruz finally done? As of right now, Boomstick plans to play next year, and he'll be looking for another one-year deal late in his career.
Batting Order
| 1 | Jurickson Profar |
| 2 | Juan Soto |
| 3 | Manny Machado |
| 4 | Jake Cronenworth |
| 5 | Josh Bell |
| 6 | Brandon Drury |
| 7 | Ha-Seong Kim |
| 8 | Trent Grisham |
| 9 | Austin Nola |
Nelson Cruz Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
| 1 | Jurickson Profar |
| 2 | Juan Soto |
| 3 | Manny Machado |
| 4 | Jake Cronenworth |
| 5 | Josh Bell |
| 6 | Brandon Drury |
| 7 | Ha-Seong Kim |
| 8 | Trent Grisham |
| 9 | Austin Nola |
Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz was his usual, reliable self last season providing fantasy managers plenty of power in the shortened campaign. The 40-year-old's name littered MLB batting leaderboards as he was top-10 in baseball in OPS (.992), wOBA (.441), and wRC (164). That translated into 16 homers and 33 RBI as Cruz continued to be a fantasy asset despite DH-only eligibility. A look at Cruz's advanced metrics shows no sign of decline in his advanced age. Cruz's 15-percent barrel rate was top-seventh percentile in baseball, yet was still a drop from the league-leading 19.9-percent mark he put up in 2019. His 93 MPH average exit velocity over the last two seasons is elite and justifies his absurd .624 slugging percentage in that span. Omitting 2020, Cruz has at least 37 homers in every season since 2014 and cleared the 100 RBI mark four times. His role as an everyday DH has clearly helped fend off Father Time as Cruz has been a staple in a loaded Twins lineup. He re-signed in Minnesota for the 2021 season and will bat third or fourth for a lineup that will provide plenty of run and RBI opportunities. DH-only eligibility hurts his fantasy stock a little, but that is baked into his average draft position of 98th overall. Draft Cruz with confidence as a four-category contributor.
