Mariners Trade-a-Day: Nelson Cruz
Nobody loves their stars more than Mariners fans. They idolize those who endear themselves to the fanbase even after a player has moved well past his prime.
Be it Kyle Seager or Félix Hernández, Mariners fans will always love players they deem "theirs." One player who has achieved such status despite only having played four years for the team is Nelson Cruz. It's been four years since Cruz donned the northwest green, but could that change this summer?
Admittedly, the fit for Cruz in Seattle is muddy, to say the least. Cruz, as he has been for the past half-decade, is a pure designated hitter. And that may be a hurdle the team feels is impossible to overcome. After all, Kyle Lewis is nowhere near ready to play in the field. Mitch Haniger should be back with the team at some point, and while he'll get plenty of time in the right field, Seattle will likely want to utilize the DH to give him a break here and there.
However, relying on Lewis and Haniger to stay healthy enough to make this issue come to fruition is dubious at best. Lewis hasn't played in the field in over a year and hasn't played for four consecutive days since late May of 2021. Haniger did navigate the 2021 season and was able to avoid the injured list, but he has an extensive history of injuries that have included lengthy setbacks during rehab processes.
Signing with the Nationals this past offseason, Cruz hasn't exactly lit the world on fire in 2022. He'll enter Friday's slate of games slashing .230/.318/.333, which brings him to a meager wRC+ of 86.
That said, Cruz was significantly better in May than he was in April, slashing .318/.379/.459 and posting a 135 wRC+. By just about any metric, the 42-year old can still mash. He currently sits in the 82nd percentile in hard-hit percentage, 78th in barrel percentage, 75th in walk percentage and 76th in average exit velocity.
There is no doubt Cruz could help the Mariners in the short-term. His $15 million salary should be of no concern to Seattle, which currently sits below the $100 million payroll mark.
But the fit remains the biggest obstacle to overcome. Cruz will likely be one of the bigger bats moved this July, so the team won't be able to get him for free. Last year, the Rays had to part with right-handed pitching prospect Joe Ryan for half a season of Cruz. That's a cost Seattle simply cannot pay. The equivalent to Ryan may be Levi Stoudt.
Instead, assuming there is a fit of any kind, the most the Mariners should part with is Prelander Berroa, but even that makes a deal a bit prohibitive. Overall, unless Seattle gets some bad news regarding Haniger or Lewis over the next two months, it shouldn't bend over backwards to land Cruz.
