Nelson Cruz, 7-time MLB All-Star, retires after 19 seasons: What’s his case for the HOF?
After a career that spanned 19 seasons and eight teams, Nelson Cruz is retiring from baseball, he told The Adam Jones Podcast on Thursday.
Cruz, 43, spent eight seasons with the Texas Rangers from 2006 to 2013, earning two All-Star nods and ALCS MVP in 2011. He’s also a three-time All-Star with the Seattle Mariners, where he played from 2015 to 2018, after a season with the Baltimore Orioles in 2014 that saw him lead the major leagues with 40 home runs.
Cruz, a four-time Silver Slugger, also played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres. He’s hit 464 career home runs, slashing .274/.343/.513 through 2,055 career games.
The Dominican Republic native won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2021 and is a two-time Edgar Martínez Award winner (2017, 2019).
What’s his case for the HOF?
A late start to his career (Cruz was 28 during his first full season) and more than half of his time spent as a designated hitter, as well as a 50-game suspension for PED use in 2013, make Cruz’s Hall of Fame case tricky. Cruz undoubtedly is one of baseball’s best hitters of the past decade. He hammered 18 home runs in 187 postseason at-bats, single-handedly wrecking the Detroit Tigers’ chances of advancing in the playoffs when he faced them in 2011 and 2014.
But Cruz wound up producing 41.5 Wins Above Replacement, which is well below Edgar Martínez ’s 67 WAR and the 53.2 produced by David Ortiz, two comparable HOFers. Cruz produced a dominant stretch from 2009 to 2021, but he didn’t win an MVP award and never finished in the top five among those receiving votes.
Cruz’s best argument to gain induction is the recent inclusion of Harold Baines, who was voted in by the veteran’s committee despite finishing his career with 38.6 WAR. — Dan Hayes, Twins senior writer
Cruz’s legacy with the Twins
In his first year as the Twins’ manager, Rocco Baldelli needed a strong voice to run his clubhouse in 2019 and Cruz was perfect for the job. Whether it was bringing together the entire group, demonstrating the work ethic necessary to be a great player, or simply hitting the ball all over the yard, the free agent signee instantly transformed the team’s culture. He was a role model to some, a father figure to others and led the Twins’ Bomba Squad as it smashed a major-league record 307 homers.
Even on his way out, Cruz was the gift that kept giving as his trade to the Rays in July 2021 netted the Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan. — Hayes
Cruz’s 2013 suspension
Suspended 50 games for the use of performance-enhancing drugs in 2013, Cruz was forthright about his mistake during the rest of his career. One of 13 players suspended for their role in the Biogenesis scandal, Cruz said he made an error in judgment in using PEDs after losing 45 pounds because of a gastrointestinal issue during the 2011-12 offseason. He served his suspension starting on Aug. 4, 2013, and returned to the Rangers for their Game 163 loss to the Rays.
From then on, whether in Baltimore, Seattle or Minnesota, Cruz was open with the media about his mistake. He also volunteered with each organization to advise younger teammates and minor leaguers against using PEDs.
“You have to learn to see the positives of that,” Cruz said in January 2019. “I think from that mistake, I can say I’m a better person and better human being.”
Cruz played 10 more seasons after his suspension, hitting 307 homers in that span with a .877 OPS. As he seemingly defied the odds late in his career, belting 37 or more homers six straight times from age 33 on, Cruz knew he’d always have skeptics.
“There always will be doubt,” Cruz said. “It (doesn’t) matter. But in my mind, I’m in the clear. I’m doing the right things and baseball is doing a great job, doing all it can to maintain and keep the game clean.” — Hayes
