It finally happened! The Twins re-signed Nelson Cruz to a one year, $13 million deal!
Twins fans waited all offseason for this moment and can finally relax knowing we got our DH back. Cruz has been the leader of the offense the past two seasons. His leadership on the field and in the clubhouse has been huge for the Twins. He leads the Twins in almost every offensive stat since joining the team and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Since the start of 2019, Cruz has hit .308/.394/.626 (1.020) with 57 HR and 141 RBI. He had a 163 wRC+, .416 wOBA, 25.7% K%, 11.0% BB%, and 6.2 fWAR in 173 games. Cruz leads the team in OBP, SLG, OPS, HR, wRC+, wOBA, and WAR since joining the Twins.
Cruz will make $13 million in 2021. If he can continue to produce like he has or even a little bit less, it’ll be a good contract for the Twins. I think it’s a very good deal for both sides. Every Twins fan is glad we got Cruz back, which was the priority this offseason. Cruz’s main goal before he retires is to win a World Series, which he will try to do with the Twins for the third straight year. Getting Cruz back helps the lineup and team a ton on their quest to win the AL Central for the third year in a row.
The Twins will now turn to adding a starter and reliever. It’s unknown if they will add a starter on a major league deal or not, but they would like to add one some way or another. They’ve been connected to many pitchers this offseason. The starters include James Paxton, Jake Odorizzi, and Mike Foltynewicz. The relievers include Tyler Clippard, Alex Colomé, Joakim Soria, Jake McGee, and Shane Greene. They’ve been in touch with others but these are some of the known ones. Cruz will help the Twins recruit Colomé, who is close to Cruz’s cousin.
Colomé has had a 2.62 ERA and 8.5 K/9 in 151.1 innings since 2018. He is one of the better relievers remaining and could be a solid addition to the Twins. His underlying numbers have been somewhat concerning though, as they have gotten progressively worse every year for the last couple years. The Twins have previously made Soria a one year offer worth $4 million earlier this offseason. He would be a very solid addition to the bullpen, with a 3.61 ERA and 10.54 K/9 in 152.0 innings since 2018.
Twins Current Lineup:
- C: Mitch Garver
- 1B: Miguel Sano
- 2B: Jorge Polanco
- SS: Andrelton Simmons
- 3B: Josh Donaldson
- LF: Alex Kirilloff
- CF: Byron Buxton
- RF: Max Kepler
- DH: Nelson Cruz
