The Orioles’ signing of Nelson Cruz has brought out a lot of opinions and seemed to build a lot of fences among the fanbase – and it’s not even March. Whether you would’ve rather seen the team spend on Kendrys Morales, another pitcher or something entirely different, some seem to think this one-year deal worth $8-million is a bad thing for Baltimore. Simply put, it’s not.
There’s plenty not to love about Nelson Cruz. He doesn’t play very good defense (or much defense at all). He has high strikeout numbers (which should help him to fit right in as a part of this lineup). He’s aging (well, aren’t we all?).
But the biggest issue that has seemed to crop up, and crop up quickly, is one word – Steroids.
Many know that Cruz played in just 109 games last season with the Texas Rangers because he was suspended 50 games as a part of MLB’s Biogenesis scandal. Yes, the same scandal that took down Alex Rodriguez (again) and cost over ten players part of their season.
It’s not simple to sort through all of this, but I’m going to do my best for you.
There are many reasons to dislike Nelson Cruz and the fact that he’s joining the O’s. I even listed some of them above for you, so take your pick. The one reason for which you shouldn’t dislike him, though, is his involvement with PEDs. I’m not for steroids in baseball, I don’t think they have any place in the game and I want them gone for good. But let’s not pretend that anyone connected to them suddenly has cooties and can’t be touched with a 10-foot pole. It’s important to realize that while these “steroid guys” are tainted in some way, they paid their price. Cruz sat out for 50 games last season. When a criminal commits his crime, he goes to jail and serves his sentence. When he is done, he is a free man. He still has a criminal record, and that’s to be recognized, but he isn’t kept in jail past his sentence. This is a simple enough process to understand.
Signing Cruz is the best move the Orioles have made all offseason and that’d be the case if he was suspended last year or not. So why are we treating it differently?
The fact that the deal is for one year makes it even more intriguing. Cruz knows he’s going to be expected to perform this season in Baltimore, and he has every motivation to do so. He came into this offseason expecting and hoping to sign a multi-year deal for around $75-million. The 33-year-old has to prove that he can hit without the enhancement of drugs. If he can’t do that, does anyone see his career going much further after 2014?
Aside from the draft pick that is sacrificed by the Orioles and the potential pick they can get back for 2015 by extending a qualifying offer Cruz’s way after 2014, there are many other things to like about this deal. It takes the pressure off of so many other parts of the lineup. Does anyone remember August of last season when the Orioles couldn’t hit their way out of a paper bag? Here’s another guy to help lift the load. There’s no more pressure on Nolan Reimold to stay healthy, which is always an adventure in itself to watch play out. There’s no pressure on Henry Urrutia to be a major league talent quite yet. There’s no pressure on Adam Jones or Chris Davis to hit every home run when the likes of J.J. Hardy and Matt Wieters aren’t at the hot point of their streaky season.
Let’s leave steroids out of the picture here. Cruz did them, he paid the price for it, and is now on “probation” for his actions. There’s no reason Baltimore can’t be the place he attempts to rehabilitate his career. I just hope the bleachers at The Yard are prepared for his wrath.
2 Responses
now just trade markakis for 3 prospects & use the freed up $$$ to go get Morales & Santana
i agree. markakis’ #’s have steadily declined and his lack of speed allows too many balls to fall into right field for singles. we need speed in the outfield. his time in bmore is over as far as im concerned.