MLB Rumors: Nelson Cruz Draws Interest from AL and NL Teams Amid Free Agency
There are multiple teams interested in adding power to their lineup this offseason by way of former Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz.
According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, teams in both the American League and National League have "ongoing interest" in the 40-year-old slugger.
The league has yet to announce whether there will be a universal designated hitter in 2021, as there was in the 2020 pandemic-shortened campaign, but Cruz also has experience in the outfield.
Upon joining the Twins in 2019, Cruz hit .311 with 41 home runs and 108 RBI. He followed up that act in a pandemic-shortened season with a .303/.397/.595 season at the plate, belting 16 home runs. He anchored a Twins lineup that led the league in home runs and ranked second in runs scored in 2019 and was a mainstay even through a quieter 2020 season.
Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said last week on WCCO Radio that Cruz "has earned the opportunity and the right to work through free agency in full" but offered no assurance that he would return next season.
While Falvey was noncommital, KSTP-TV's Darren Wolfson said the Twins are the "number one choice" for Cruz, but he is holding out to see whether or not he could find a home in the National League if a universal designated hitter returns for 2021.
La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune said Cruz is hoping to land a two-year deal this offseason, which would keep him in his future home until he turns 42.
