Nelson Cruz and the Washington Nationals have reached an agreement on a one-year, fifteen million dollar contract, a source confirmed.
Cruz will earn $12 million in 2022, if the club does not exercise the mutual option, and an additional $3 million if the contract is not renewed.
Cruz is the first full-time designated hitter in the National League since the new labor deal included a universal hitter.
Cruz has 18 major league seasons under his belt. He was the oldest player in major league history to hit 30 home runs in a season, and he hit.265 with 32 home runs and 86 runs in 2021. Darrell Evans was 40 when he hit the mark and David Ortiz was 38 when he did.
A seven-time All-Star, Cruz is a career.279 hitter with 1,238 RBIs for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, SeattleMariners, Twins and Rays.
During the 2020 season, the NL used the DH. The extra hitter will be added to the NL for every game of the World Series under the new labor agreement.
Cruz has hit 18 home runs in the playoffs. He was acquired by the Rays in their push for the playoffs.
Some NL teams might allow several players to fill the role of the designated hitter in order to give them a day off. Cruz fills that role for other clubs.
Cruz played first base for the first time in his career at Philadelphia last year, and he made a nifty pickup on a bounced throw to end the first. He delivered a two-run double in the eighth to win the game.
He made four starts in right field for Seattle in the last year.
The report was contributed to by the Associated Press.
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