Nelson Cruz spent just one of his 18 major league seasons in Baltimore. And yet, the slugger still offers fans an opportunity to look back fondly on the Orioles teams of the 2010s.
Ahead of his age-33 season, Cruz signed a one-year, $8 million deal with Baltimore in 2014 after eight seasons with the Texas Rangers. Cruz left a big impact in a short stint. He was named an All-Star for the third time, led the big leagues with 40 home runs and finished seventh in MVP voting.
More importantly, that year’s Orioles team finished the regular season 96-66 and won a division title for the first time since 1997. When Cruz returns to Baltimore for a series as an opposing player, it serves as a way for fans to think back on the team that was the best Baltimore had to offer in years.
“It was special,” Cruz said on Glenn Clark Radio June 22. “I had a chance to take a team to the playoffs. … It was magical. Everything about that team was incredible. It’s always a pleasure to come back.”
Most baseball careers are well in decline around the age Cruz was during the 2014 season. His was just beginning. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound designated hitter is still launching towering homers and serving as a leader in clubhouses. He still does so with one goal still in mind.
“I want to win the World Series,” said Cruz, who turns 42 on July 1. “I definitely have been blessed to play for so many years.”
Since leaving Baltimore after 2014, he’s continued to be a presence in the middle of lineups on winning teams as he searches for a championship. He signed a four-year, $57 million deal with the Seattle Mariners after the 2014 season. The Mariners won an average of 82 games per season in those four seasons, capped by an 89-win team in 2018.
He then moved east to Minnesota for three seasons, signing with the Twins as they neared the end of a long rebuild. Cruz helped them improve from 78 wins in 2018 to 101 in 2019 and reach back-to-back postseasons.
With the Twins enduring a down year in 2021, Cruz was shipped to Tampa Bay last summer to join yet another championship-caliber team. The Rays finished with 100 wins and the AL East title but faltered in their opening playoff series. They were eliminated by Boston in four games.
Cruz won’t be chasing any division crowns with Washington this season, but like last year he’s a prime candidate to be traded. Fixated behind Juan Soto and Josh Bell in the Nationals’ lineup, Cruz is hitting .318/.394/.500 since May 20 and playing his way into trade speculation.
Other members of that 2014 team are experiencing success elsewhere, too. Manager Buck Showalter is leading the Mets to their best season in years, as they’re on pace to run away with the NL East. Third baseman Manny Machado is enjoying a MVP-caliber season in San Diego.
“He’s a leader,” Cruz said of his former skipper. “He takes care of the players. … He’s a guy you can definitely rely on. … That’s why he’s one of the best in the business.”
Nearing the end of a storied career, the one thing left for Cruz to accomplish is to win a World Series. It’s what drives the 41-year-old to keep playing well past the age when players typically hang it up.
As much as he needs a championship, a championship-contending team may ultimately need him just as much to push them over the top, just as the Orioles once did.
“Time will tell me when it’s over,” he said. “I love the game and I love the competition. I go day by day, year over year. Whatever happens, I’ll be happy with the results.”
For more from Cruz, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club