The 34-year-old slugger will take his talents to Seattle.
According to ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas, veteran outfielder Nelson Cruz has agreed to join the Seattle Mariners, pending a physical. The deal is said to be worth $57 million over four years, including a $1 million signing bonus.
Cruz earned himself a nice payday after coming off an American League-leading 40 home run campaign in 2014 with the Orioles. Despite playing mostly as the designated hitter, the Dominican native still registered a 3.9 fWAR season on the back of an excellent .272/.333/.525 line across 678 plate appearances. He also placed 7th on the MVP voting.
The chances of Cruz coming to Queens were pretty slim, considering he could barely play the outfield. Staying in the AL is a logical move.The Mariners have been looking to add some right-handed power to their lineup to complement Robinson Cano. They seem to have found their man, even though some may argue that 4/57 is a bit too much for an aging DH. Meanwhile, the Orioles will net themselves a compensation pick, having extended Cruz a qualifying offer earlier this offseason.