Nelson Cruz has cashed in on a career year by signing a four-year, $57 million contract with the Seattle Mariners that includes a $1 million signing bonus.
THIS JUST IN: Mariners & OF Nelson Cruz agree to 4-year, $57 million deal. (via ESPN & multiple media reports) http://t.co/5KwFAscCgv
Cruz has come a long way since his 50-game suspension on Aug. 5, 2013 for his involvement with Biogenesis. That suspension hurt his market value when he left the Texas Rangers and became a free agent after the 2013 season.
On Feb. 24, Cruz signed a one-year $8 million contract with the Orioles as a buy-low option to add depth to a lineup that already had: Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Matt Wieters and Chris Davis, coming off a 50-plus home run season in 2013. Wieters had season-ending Tommy John surgery in June and Davis, to cap off an incredibly disappointing 2014 season, tested positive for amphetamines in September and was suspended for 25 games. Cruz was the primary clean-up hitter for a majority of the season and turned in career bests in home runs (40, which lead the American League) and RBIs (108).
For the second consecutive year, the Mariners have gone to free agency to add a middle-of-the-order bat. The Mariners memorably splurged on Robinson Cano last offseason, giving him a 10-year $240 million contract that the New York Yankees simply couldn’t match. The 34-year-old Cruz will add a little more pop in the lineup. Although the Mariners offense was only 19th last year in total runs scored with 634, they were 15th in home runs with 136.
Despite a shift from a slightly more hitter-friendly ballpark in Camden Yards to a more pitcher-friendly park in Safeco Field, Cruz’s power numbers shouldn’t see a significant decline.
Overlay from http://t.co/qgHvF1A1VJ comparing Camden Yards and Safeco Field (re: Nelson Cruz) http://t.co/eQv1pnXhgk
The Mariners have also internally taken care of their own – third baseman Kyle Seager’s breakout season where he posted career highs in HRs (25), RBIs (96) and won his first Gold Glove award was rewarded to the tune of a seven-year, $100 million contract.
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