Steve Davis: Don't Say Goodbye To Cruz Just Yet
I know the feeling needs to be that Nelson Cruz wants a four year deal and the Orioles won't give it to him, so he is gone. Not so fast.
Just because he wants it, doesn't mean he will get it.
He is in his mid-30's, and one thing teams learned is that he is better if you limit his time in the outfield. He only played 70 games in the outfield. So, if he wants a four year deal, I doubt any National League teams will be in on that.
That leaves the American League. You can say the Yankees and Red Sox, except the Yankees have enough older players, and no ready spot in the outfield. The Red Sox are willing to spend, but they have Ortiz for at least another year, so they have no spots at DH for Cruz; thus, it would be a bad signing for them.
Seattle might shell out big bucks, but that is a tough place to hit and he avoided Seattle last off-season. If Detroit loses Victor Martinez, they might be interested, but Martinez is older than Cruz, so the market might be limited on him too.
Do I think there will be teams going after Cruz?
Sure.
But I also think that if no one gives him four years, the Orioles could be in the mix at 3 years, and will definitely be right there if he can be had for 2 years. The big thing will be how high they are able to take their budget.
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