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At 41 years of age, Nelson Cruz has still proven that he could be lethal threat the middle of the batting order. Over the past seasons, Cruz has been utilized at the DH position for the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays, thus the new rule of having a universal DH in the MLB enhances the interest of the National League franchises to sign Cruz to a short term deal.
Age could show defensively which could be the reason why his playing time has been vastly limited in the outfield or first base. The home run power and RBI numbers are not yet dwindling as he shows no signs of slowing down, so one of the powerhouses in the league could maximize Cruz for one or two more seasons at the DH position. With Nelson Cruz as one of the attractive power hitters on the market, these are the best fits for him to consider in the next few days.
For a Freddie Freeman-led team for 12 seasons, he may suddenly decide to take his talents to the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Yankees in the offseason. The Atlanta Braves are relatively a small-market franchise compared to the Dodgers and the Yankees, which would be tough for them to match any massive long term offer for the superstar in Freeman.
With Freeman possibly departing, there will be a gaping hole in the middle of the lineup of the Braves. Thus, signing Nelson Cruz for one or two years the new DH position in the NL could be one of the plausible moves in trying to defend the crown. Obviously, Cruz will not be the only piece who could bolster the batting order of Atlanta, but he will be an instrumental piece and possibly lead the team in home runs for 2022.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Another NL organization who will benefit from the universal DH, the Dodgers lost a huge part of their offense in Corey Seager who signed a 10-year, $325 million deal contract with the Texas Rangers. L.A. will have Trea Turner for his first full season with the Dodgers, but they still need another source of power in the middle which would be answered by Nelson Cruz.
Turner, Mookie Betts, and Justin Turner are still some of the most spectacular names in the Dodgers lineup, but the missing link is an Aaron Judge or Vladimir Guerrero type of guy. These three individuals along with a few other names could rack up the hits or create contact on any type of pitch, but none of them possess the home run prowess that Cruz brings to any team. Cruz fits perfectly in a squad that is win-now mode, and the Dodgers fit that well.
Another small market team similar to the his previous tenures with the Twins and Rays, Nelson Cruz would be the missing link to one of the subpar teams offensively. The Milwaukee Brewers are known to have one of the best bullpens, headlined by southpaw Josh Hader along with their sensational rotation led by Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes.
These three superb pitchers gives the Brewers a legitimate chance to compete on any given night, but their batting across the board has a few weaknesses that must be addressed. Christian Yelich is still donning the Brewers uniform as the main leader, but Cruz could be the asset who could propel Milwaukee to clinch a spot in the wildcard game at the very least.
Baseball is the kind of sport wherein versatility and all-around effectivity is necessary to even reach the postseason, so these three teams need that offensive fire power to elevate their performance this upcoming 2022 season. The players, fans, media and everyone involved with the MLB are excited to see baseball once again as free agents like Nelson Cruz will finally get that terrific opportunity of finding a new home once again.
