The experienced Dominican designated hitter Nelson Cruz signed with the San Diego Padres for one season, returning to the MLB to play his 19th season, reported journalist Héctor Gómez.
Cruz finished the 2022 regular season hitting .234/.313/.337 with 10 home runs and 64 RBIs. After not staying with the Washington Nationals, he received $3 million in compensation for being released.
Remember that Cruz works as manager of the Dominican Republic team that will be in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but he never wanted to hang up the spikes and announce his retirement from the majors.
Nelson Cruz and San Diego Padres are in agreement for one year.@z101digital @ZSports
— Hector Gomez (@hgomez27) January 11, 2023
Cruz has 4 Silver Sluggers and 7 invitations to the All-Star Game in his showcases, so San Diego wins a designated hitter at a low price and who could slip into one of the best lineups in the National League on more than one occasion. and the MLB.
“I had a very slow start, with an upturn in the second month… but I was suffering from a vision problem, in the eye, which kept me out for the last three weeks of the season,” Cruz said on the Dominican radio program Sports Diamond.
Cruz underwent surgery to correct his left eye problems, something that greatly affected his 2022 season. Now, however, he is ready to add in San Diego.
