Two Nelson Cruz Finalists Revealed

With the designated hitter coming to the National League, NL teams are opening their eyes to the consummate DH of the past dozen years in the majors. 42-year-old Nelson Cruz has narrowed his free agency choice down to two NL West teams, according to MLB Insider Mark Feinsand of mlb.com.

Nelson Cruz is close to making a decision, and it appears to be down to the Dodgers and Padres, per source.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) March 13, 2022

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are apparently the finalists for Cruz's ageless services. 

Jon Heyman had also mentioned the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals as being in the mix, but it appears the Pacific Coast Highway rivals are the finalists. 

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic notes that signing Cruz would not preclude the Dodgers from signing Freddie Freeman also, who is still weighing his options. 

Losing Cruz to the Dodgers would be another heartbreak for the Padres, who also lost out on Max Scherzer at the last moment to the Dodgers at last year's trade deadline. 

Cruz has amassed 449 home runs in his 17-year career, along with a .277 average and .873 OPS. 

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