Nelson Cruz is headed out west.
Late on Wednesday, the veteran slugger and designated hitter agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal with the San Diego Padres.
The 42-year-old now joins a stacked Padres team that has already added stars such as Xander Bogaerts and Matt Carpenter.
Cruz hit .234 with 10 home runs and 64 RBI during the regular season with the Washington Nationals.
Cruz has also spent time with the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, and Tampa Bay Rays.
On MLB Tonight, analysts Fran Charles, Mike Lowell, and Carlos Pena discussed the move made by the Padres to sign Cruz and what he could bring to the table.
Nelson Cruz is reportedly heading out West and looking to win a ring!#MLBTonight discusses what the veteran hitter could add to the young San Diego lineup.@Plakata | @mikelowell25 | #Padres pic.twitter.com/T31mGAnEfZ
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 12, 2023
One thing the veteran slugger can bring is power.
Most likely, he’ll split DH duties with Carpenter and get most of his chances against left-handed pitching.
Over the course of his 18-year career, Cruz has a .274 average, 459 home runs, 1,302 RBI, and a WAR of 42.5.
The Padres have a young lineup that features stars such as Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, and Fernando Tatis Jr.
Cruz brings a veteran presence to a young lineup that is capable of scoring plenty of runs.
He also brings a veteran voice to the Padres clubhouse as they look to build off of their success in 2022.
The team won 89 games during the regular season and captured the second NL Wild Card before they knocked out the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers and fell short in the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies.
NEXT: Nelson Cruz Is Joining A Stacked Padres Ballclub