Nelson Cruz will be returning to the Minnesota Twins for the 2021 season.
Cruz and the Twins agreed to a one-year deal worth $13 million. This will mark Cruz’s third year in a row serving as the Twins’ DH.
Cruz looked like he might have a bigger job market this offseason after MLB proposed a season with a universal DH. But after the MLBPA rejected the proposal, MLB pushed ahead with a season that would go by the usual rules, meaning the NL wouldn’t have a DH.
Cruz may be 40, but his age hasn’t hindered his ability to mash. He has batted .308/.394/.626 with 57 homers in 163 games over the last two years and finished top-10 in MVP voting both years.
The Twins have won the AL Central two years in a row and led MLB in nearly every major offensive category in 2019. Bringing Cruz back will help them make a run at those marks in 2021.
