Former Baltimore Orioles All-Star Calls It a Career
It seemed like Nelson Cruz would keep mashing baseballs forever, but on Thursday his storied career finally came to an end.
After 19 big-league seasons, the 43-year-old slugger officially announced his retirement on The Adam Jones Podcast, hanging up his spikes after a disappointing 2023 campaign with the San Diego Padres.
Cruz's winding MLB journey as a professional hitter featured stints with eight separate teams over the last two decades, including a highly successful one-year stop with the Baltimore Orioles (and the aforementioned Jones) in 2014.
Orioles fans may remember Cruz for his myriad contributions that season, when he helped Baltimore win 96 games and the AL East. The Orioles swept a stacked Detroit Tigers team in the ALDS (still Baltimore's most recent postseason victory) before getting swept themselves by the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS.
Baltimore was lucky to have Cruz that summer, who fell into its price range after getting suspended for his role in the Biogenesis scandal the previous year. Cruz turned down the $14 million qualifying offer from the Texas Rangers, only to settle for a one-year, $8 million "prove it" deal with the Orioles after no one else came calling.
That turned out to be Baltimore's good fortune, as Cruz was still one of the best sluggers in baseball. He led the majors with 40 home runs in 2014, knocked in 108 runs and batted .271/.333/.525. Cruz earned his third All-Star selection and finished seventh in the AL MVP voting for his efforts, making him one of the biggest free-agent bargains of all time.
Cruz continued his heavy hitting in October, going 6-for-12 with two homers and five RBIs in the ALDS. He notched multiple hits in five straight games to begin the playoffs and finished the postseason with a .357/.400/.607 slash line.
Not surprisingly, Cruz's big year netted him a big payday in free agency. He signed a four-year, $57 million deal with the Seattle Mariners, returning to the AL West after starring for the Rangers from 2006-2013. The Orioles promptly regressed without him, slipping to 81-81 and third place in 2015.
While he never won a World Series, Cruz still has plenty of accomplishments to be proud of. He made seven All-Star teams, won four Silver Sluggers and bashed 464 homers -- good for 37 all-time. It may not be enough for the Hall of Fame, but it's more than enough for the Hall of Very Good.
