Rays Get Nelson Cruz In A Trade With Minnesota Twins

ST. PETERSBURG, FL —The Tampa Bay Rays didn't wait until next Friday's MLB Trade Deadline to make a deal. Instead, the defending American League champions showed they are serious about making another run in 2021 by acquiring veteran slugger Nelson Cruz Thursday in a trade with the Minnesota Twins.

Cruz, 41, comes to St. Pete along with minor league pitcher Calvin Faucher in exchange for Rays' pitching prospects Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman, who were rated by MLB Pipeline as Tampa's No. 10 prospect (Ryan) and No. 17 prospect (Strotman).

But Cruz, who has been a designated hitter exclusively the last three seasons, is expected to give the Rays' lineup a big boost as they continue to battle the Boston Red Sox for the AL East title. Boston is one game ahead of the Rays in the division entering Friday's games. The Rays do sit atop the AL Wild Card standings.

Despite his advanced years, the right-handed Cruz reached his seventh All-Star Game earlier this month, and he was hitting .294 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs for the struggling Twins. Playing for the Brewers, Rangers, Orioles, Mariners and Twins, Cruz has hit 436 career homers, ranking 46th on the all-time list, and he has hit 40 or more home runs four times since 2014.

Cruz also has hit .288 with 17 homers and 37 RBIs in 46 postseason games. He'll obviously expect to add to those totals with the Rays in October.

"I'm 41, so definitely hunting for a World Series championship," Cruz said on a Thursday conference call according to MLB.com. "I want to be part of a championship team, and hopefully I can contribute to get that done for the Rays."

Cruz is expected to be an upgrade at DH for the Rays, whose DHs were hitting just .219 ahead of Thursday night's 5-4 win over Cleveland at Tropicana Field. Cruz also is hitting .300 against left-handed pitchers this season, while the Rays were hitting just .226 as a team against lefties entering Thursday.

The Rays also will be hoping Cruz can provide veteran leadership for some of their younger players, like last year's postseason hero Randy Arozarena, who is 26, and 20-year-0ld rookie shortstop Wander Franco. Cruz said he's happy to help in that capacity.

"I feel like it's part of my job to help the young guys get some experience for how to prepare for games, how to take care of yourself even off the field," Cruz told MLB.com. "Through the years, I learned that was part of my job also, to be involved with the young guys."

ESPN senior writer David Schoenfield gave the Rays an A grade for the trade, praising the team for making the deal a week before the deadline, which will give Cruz seven or eight additional games with the club.

"Simply put, the Rays get one of the best hitters in the game. Cruz ranks ninth in the majors in OPS+ in 2021 and fourth over the past two seasons among qualified batters. He's especially crushed left-handers, which also fits what the Rays need," Schoenfield wrote.

According to MLB.com, Cruz is on a one-year, $13 million contract, of which the Rays will be on the hook for about $5 million. A native of Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic, Cruz will be a free agent after the season.

But Tampa Bay general manager Erik Neander only is focused on what Cruz will bring to the club in the coming months. The GM also said the organization might not be done adding talent before the trade deadline, which is July 30 at 4 p.m. Eastern.

"We were in the World Series last year, and we made a few decisions over the winter that were really difficult decisions," Neander told MLB.com. "The way that they've played put us in a position to believe that an add like this could raise our expectations to at least where they were last year.

"That's why we did it. And to do it on July 22 affords us the time to continue working at other (trade) possibilities that may or may not be out there, but this was certainly a big one for us to jump on here."

Schoenfield also graded Thursday's trade as an A for the Twins, writing: "In moving early, the Rays did give up two good pitching prospects for a rental player."