Retired All-Star Nelson Cruz Reportedly Joining Los Angeles Dodgers as Advisor
Nelson Cruz has joined the Los Angeles Dodgers' front office as an advisor, Dominican sports radio announcer Tenchy Rodriguez reported Wednesday.
Cruz announced his retirement on "The Adam Jones Podcast" back on Nov. 2, marking an end to his 19-year MLB career. The seven-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger made his final big league appearance with the San Diego Padres on July 3 before finishing out the year in the Dominican Winter League.
According to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, the 43-year-old Cruz will do "a lot of work" for the Dodgers in Latin America.
Cruz got his start with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2005 after bouncing around between the Oakland Athletics and New York Mets' farm systems. The outfielder only appeared in eight games that season, though, and he didn't break out until he got dealt to the Texas Rangers in 2006.
The young slugger earned a bigger role in the lineup as his time in Arlington went on, eventually making All-Star appearances in 2009 and 2013. Cruz made another All-Star game after signing a one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles in 2014, then he made three more over the course of his four-year stint with the Seattle Mariners.
Cruz spent his late 30s with the Minnesota Twins, making yet another All-Star appearance in 2021, before the designated hitter rounded out his career with the Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals and Padres.
For his career, Cruz was a .274 hitter with an .856 OPS and 42.2 WAR. Cruz wound up with 464 home runs, 2,053 hits and 1,325 RBI between 2005 and 2023.
Cruz represented the Dominican Republic national team in the World Baseball Classic in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2023, when he also served as the organization's general manager.
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