Veteran designated hitter Nelson Cruz will return to Minnesota Twins for the 2021 MLB season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Passan reported on Wednesday that Cruz and Twins agreed to a new one-year contract, with the 40-year-old player receiving $13 million to play next season. The deal is expected to be official once the player undergoes a physical.
Cruz enjoyed a productive campaign in 2020, playing in 53 games and batting .303 with 16 home runs and 33 RBIs. He earned an All-MLB Second-team nod while also finishing sixth in MVP voting.
It was widely expected that Cruz would remain in Minnesota in 2021 as well, considering both sides expressed interest in a reunion. The player reportedly felt comfortable with the organization and being part of the contending team, while the Twins didn’t want to lose their most productive batter in recent years.
Another reason why Cruz opted to extend his stay is the fact that the players’ association rejected the league’s proposal to include a designated hitter in National League next season. This narrowed Cruz’s market and made staying put is his best move.
Nelson Cruz made his MLB debut in 2005 with the Milwaukee Brewers. He also played with the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and Seattle Mariners over the course of his career in the majors.
Cruz has six All-Star honors to his name while also collecting several other individual accolades, including the ALCS MVP award in 2011 and four Silver Slugger Awards.
Cruz’s career-records include a .278 batting average, 1,777 hits, 417 homers, and 1,152 RBIs.
