MINNEAPOLIS – It took until February, but the twins finally got their man back. Nelson Cruz is returning to Minnesota on a $ 13 million one-year contract pending a physical examination, sources told MLB.com Tuesday night. It took more than many expected for the deal to close, considering both sides
MINNEAPOLIS – It took until February, but the twins finally got their man back.
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It is a reunion that made sense for both sides. Cruz was the Twins’ best hitter in the past two seasons and provided consistent power and averaging at the heart of the lineup, with the highlight in 2019 “Bomba Squad” which set the MLB record for a single season for home runs. Cruz also made it clear that he liked his situation in Minnesota, where he was part of a rival squad and was comfortable with the organization and the club.
Even when he crossed the 40-year-old mark, Cruz showed no signs of slowing down at the base – and, in fact, improved his performance on many levels.
Cruz originally signed with the Twins ahead of the 2019 season and posted two of the best seasons of his career, leading the club in homers and OPS in both campaigns, as the Twins won consecutive Central American League championships. His OPS + scores of 168 and 169 over the past two seasons were the highest scores of his career (excluding the 2008 season, when he played only 31 games) and he received national recognition with Silver Slugger Awards in both seasons and a couple of Top 10 in Voting for the AL MVP Award.
Over two seasons in Minnesota, Cruz reached 0.308 / 0.394 / 0.626 with 57 homers in 173 games. After receiving $ 14 million in 2019, it wasn’t a difficult decision for the twins to exercise their $ 12 million club option in ’20 – and bring it back to a similar price in ’21.
It is even more important to have Cruz at the Gemini club as a leading figure for many of the young players in the heavily international squad, especially for the also Dominican striker Miguel Sanó, who had the best season of his career in 19 under the wings of Cruz and won a contract extension as a result.
The stability and voice that Cruz brings to the club could be even more vital this season, when the twins can summon several of their top contenders to significant roles in what they hope will be a team that goes into the playoff for the third consecutive year. of increasing White Sox competition.
Cruz also combined the twins’ emphasis on community service with his dedication to charity efforts in the Dominican Republic, for which he won the Muhammad Ali Award for Humanitarian Sports in 2020 and the Marvin Miller Award for Man of the Year in 2020.
Even so, it was not a quick reunion, especially considering the uncertainty of whether the designated hitter would return to the National League in the 2021 season, which would have expanded the team market in search of Cruzeiro’s services. This is a situation that seemed to gain more clarity on Monday, when the league announced that the MLB Players’ Association had rejected a proposal for ’21 that would include both the late start of the season and universal DH, among other plans. The deal with Cruz came shortly after that, on Tuesday night.
Cruz’s return is likely to complete the Twins’ attack, who also added shortstop Andrelton Simmons to a one-year contract last week, pushing Jorge Polanco to second base and Luis Arraez to the vacant utility position. Minnesota also hired right-handed Hansel Robles and southpaw JA Happ during this off-season and may be looking for additional pitch help to end their off-season season.
The 2021 Twins are finally taking shape – with their most productive hitter finally back in battle.
Do-Hyoung Park covers the twins for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @dohyoungpark and on Instagram at dohyoung.park.