Designated batsman Nelson Cruz and the Minnesota twins agree on a one-year, $ 13 million contract, known sources in the deal told Jeff Passan.
Cruz, 40, has been a backbone of the formation of the Twin Squad Twins. And it will return in mid-2021.
The slugger, who hit .303 with 16 homers, 33 RBI and a career-high OPS + (169) in the pandemic-reduced season, finished sixth in the American League MVP vote and was selected as Marvin Miller’s Man of the Year at the annual Players Choice Awards.
The award goes to the player whom his teammates “most respect based on their leadership on the field and in the community.” Cruz donated a fire engine and an ambulance and helped build a police station in his hometown, Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic, and his 23 Boomstick Foundation has contributed wheelchairs and crutches. , and set up a clinic to provide medical and dental services. care.
His mission to help his hometown and other cities in the Dominican Republic led him to receive the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award at the 2020 ESPYS.
The designated hitter played last season with a $ 12 million deal after hitting 41 homers on the team while scoring 108 RBI in 2019, despite two rounds on the injured list for a wrist problem. He has reached the 40 home run mark four times in his career; Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth maintain the all-time mark with five seasons. Cruz was also the 57th player in Major League history to reach 400 home runs.
His .992 OPS in 2020 ranked fourth in the AL and was the fifth-best mark in MLB history for a player of his season of 39 years or older, according to ESPN research Stats & Information. And he led all major leagues with 1,182 PAHOs in strike zone launches over the past two seasons.
From 2014 to 2018, no player in the major categories achieved more home runs than Cruz (203). In 16 major league seasons, Cruz, an All-Star who has won three Silver Slugger Awards, has hit 417 home runs with 1,152 RBI and a batting average of 0.278 for the Twins, Sailors, Orioles, Rangers and Brewers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.