Nelson Cruz to Serve as GM of Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic Team
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Nelson Cruz will serve as the general manager of the Dominican Republic national team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Jon Morosi reported Tuesday morning.
Cruz, 42, will also play for the Dominican Republic national team in the 2023 event.
"I understand that there will be a lot of talk about the fact an active player serves as general manager for the first time in the history of the World Baseball Classic," Cruz said. "I'd like to inform you that I'm ready for that. I'm a man who likes challenges. I'm honored to accept the appointment, considering what the World Baseball Classic means to Dominican people."
The 2023 World Baseball Classic will be Cruz's fourth time participating in the event. He was a member of the Dominican Republic's 2009, 2013 and 2017 teams.
Cruz recently had a successful eye surgery to address inflammation.
Cruz is currently a free agent and has plans to play in 2023.
Cruz played for the Washington Nationals in 2022, playing 124 games as the club's designated hitter.
Cruz experienced a down year in 2022, batting .234, with a .313 On Base Percentage, .651 OPS, 10 home runs and 64 RBI. He posted the lowest OPS in a single season of his career since 2007, and his lowest Batting Average since 2006. He is hoping to bounce back in 2023.
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