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The San Diego Padres named Nelson Cruz for assignment on Tuesday. The move was announced by the team amid a flurry of activity and marked the end of the 43-year-old designated hitter’s run with the brothers.
Padres coach Bob Melvin told reporters Tuesday that the decision to cut Cruz was a “difficult one,” saying:
“He’s a huge influence at the club. Across the board, throughout the league, the respect he brings, playing against him from afar, it’s fantastic. He comes off as advertised – leadership, all of the above.”
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Nelson Cruz, in his nineteenth MLB season and first with the San Diego Padres, was batting . 245 with five home runs and 23 RBI over 49 games. He has played for eight teams in his major league career, hitting 464 home runs with 1,325 RBI and a . 274 average.
Melvin indicated that the San Diego Padres moved to DFA Nelson Cruz in order to provide greater variety to the team. While Cruz appeared briefly at first base for San Diego this season, he hasn’t played anywhere but DH since 2016. Melvin told reporters:
“I think it’s more about variety here now. We’ve got a couple here and (Matt Carpenter) just DH. We needed to be able to give some guys a few days off a little bit more, we need a bench runner, we need a little more variety. So unfortunately, we had to make that move today.”
After playing for the Washington Nationals in 2022, Nelson Cruz signed with the San Diego Padres for a bargain vault price of $1 million for the 2023 season, which means the team will come out relatively cheaply should he be released.
Another DFA candidate, player/DH Matt Carpenter, hit a meager . 178 but signed a $6.5 million contract for the season with a player option for 2024, making him a far more expensive player to give up.
Cruz was far from the only reason the Padres were mired in one of MLB’s most disappointing campaigns of the season. San Diego, a modern pick to go to the World Series this year, after losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 NLCS, is 11 games out of first place in the NL West with a 39-46 record.
🏾 Nelson Cruz likely has options beyond the San Diego Padres
Cruz, as beloved for his presence at the club as he is for his attacking ability, appears to be a quick, cheap pickup for a club starving and hoping to progress beyond the season.
After turning 43 on July 1, the big bat can still find a home to play the rest of his 19th MLB season.
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