Chicago White Sox: Nelson Cruz addition would be so perfect
If the Chicago White Sox added Nelson Cruz, it would be perfect in every way.
The Chicago White Sox have been one of the most active teams this offseason. It is hard to argue with what the San Diego Padres have done but as far as American League teams go, the White Sox have been the most noticeable. Their odds to win the division are great and they have to be considered a legit World Series contender. They should, however, be looking to make one or two more moves before Spring Training gets underway.
Someone who would be a perfect signing is Nelson Cruz. He would be a great designated hitter on a one year deal for the White Sox. He is 40 years old but he seems to show no sign of slowing down. He has been a White Sox killer as a member of the Minnesota Twins for the past couple of seasons. Before that, he spent time with the Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, and Milwaukee Brewers.
With the Twins, Cruz just loved playing against the Chicago White Sox. If he played against them in every game, he would be a first-ballot Hall of Fame player. The White Sox going for him would be a win simply based on the fact that he wouldn’t be playing against him anymore. Chances are, he would continue his great play for at least another year.
In 2020, playing for the Minnesota Twins, he had an MVP-level performance. He came in 6th for the AL MVP thanks to his elite production. He had a 1.8 WAR as a designated hitter in a 60 game season. He gets no help towards that WAR stat from his defense because he doesn’t play the field but his offensive stats were undeniable. 2020 saw him be the Silver Slugger DH for the third time in four years.
He had a .992 OPS which is brilliant. He had a slash line of .303/.397/.595. He hit 16 home runs and had 33 RBIs to go with 33 runs scored. Those are some great stats, especially for a guy who is 40. If his numbers come down from that a little bit, he is still better than any DH the White Sox have had in a long time.
Hot. Two top-ten relievers play for the Chicago White Sox. light
There are no rumors on where Cruz is going to go and this is just an idea. He is free to go wherever he wants but he was good enough in 2020 to be paid well in 2021, regardless of his age. He probably isn’t going to be getting anything more than a one-year deal at this point but he would really help this team in the short term. This lineup is going to score a lot of runs so adding more offense with Cruz would be amazing.