Late on Wednesday, the San Diego Padres made yet another impactful offseason move, signing veteran slugger and outfielder Nelson Cruz to a one-year, $1 million contract.
The 42-year-old spent the 2022 season with the Washington Nationals.
In uncharacteristic fashion, Cruz hit just .234 and managed to hit only 10 home runs during the regular season.
But over the course of his 18-year career, Cruz owns a lifetime batting average of .274 and has a grand total of 459 home runs.
He also has posted a 42.5 career WAR.
On Twitter, ESPN’s top MLB analyst Jeff Passan broke the news of the Padres latest signing and discussed how it could benefit the team.
Veteran slugger Nelson Cruz and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on a one-year, $1 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Cruz, 42, is entering his 19th season and should get ample DH at-bats. He'll also serve as GM of the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 11, 2023
The Padres have been busy this offseason.
The team has already added Xander Bogaerts and Matt Carpenter to bolster their offense.
Now, they gain another veteran power bat that could serve as a designated hitter against left-handed pitching.
Cruz has earned seven All-Star selections, four Silver Slugger Awards, and an ALCS MVP Award.
Over the course of his career, Cruz has spent time with the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, and Nationals.
San Diego now has two solid DH options, one from each side of the plate in Cruz and Carpenter.
Cruz also joins a stacked lineup that already features Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, Austin Nola, and Juan Soto.
Though Tatis was on the shelf for the entire 2022 season and will be forced to miss the first 20 games of the 2023 season, San Diego won 89 games and eliminated the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers before falling short in the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies.
NEXT: Analytics Show How Juan Soto Quietly Dominated In 2022