Nelson Cruz and the twins recently restarted negotiations on a new contract for the hitter, reports Atlético’s Dan Hayes. Cruz was looking for a two-year contract, but “the possibility of a one-year deal [is] now on the table ”in his current discussions with Minnesota, writes Hayes.
Despite the mutual interest in an ongoing relationship, there was not much action between Cruz and the twins in this off-season, as both sides were deeply rooted in their positions. The team did not want to pay a lot of money and give a player who turned 41 in July more than a guaranteed year, especially when a DH-only player like Cruz is (at the moment) limited to only American League teams. From Cruz’s perspective, he was hopeful that his market could expand to NL teams if universal DH was implemented and, as a result, was looking for a two-year contract compatible with his continuous and excellent production.
Since there is still no move for NL to obtain the designated hitter in 2021, this could explain why Cruz’s representatives re-engaged with the twins and why there was some flexibility in relation to the original two-year order. Cross. As Hayes notes, however, the two sides have yet to “reach consensus on wages”, which may not be simple, since the twins would like to sign Cruz again and still have money left over to get more arguments. Minnesota weighed alternative strategies, such as concentrating all available payroll space at launch and allowing its internal options to control the DH ad or perhaps sign a cheaper alternative for Cruz – Hayes notes that Edwin Encarnacion was considered a possibility.
Or, in an entirely separate direction, the twins also “launched” the idea of another free agent entering Marcell Ozuna. This move would take the club away from a search for pitches, as Ozuna would be more expensive than Cruz and would require a contract of at least three years. Ozuna is more than a decade younger than Cruz, of course, and although Ozuna may become a DH-only type in the future, Minnesota could put him on a part-time outfielder for at least a season or two. It is probably safe to assume that Ozuna is a sort of Plan C for the twins, just in case an agreement is not reached with Cruz or any notable launch target.