Could Nelson Cruz end up with the Milwaukee Brewers?
During his 17-year MLB career, Nelson Cruz has played all of eight games in the National League. Those glorious eight games came in September of 2005 with the Milwaukee Brewers.
While a 1-for-5 stat line during those eight games might not mean much, wouldn’t it be interesting if Cruz was able to finish his career with the team that gave him his first MLB start?
With the Brewers non-tendering Daniel Vogelbach just before the lockout went into effect, one of the franchise’s potential answers at DH was taken off the board. Some sites have Keston Hiura as a potential fit as designated hitter in Milwaukee, but a combined .192/.279/.362 slash line with 162 strikeouts in 390 at-bats over the last two seasons makes that thought a head-shaker.
Milwaukee finished eighth in homers and 13th in total hits last season in the 15-team National League. Their 4.56 runs per game was just above the league average. The addition of Cruz could help Milwaukee’s offense keep up with its elite pitching.
The decision on Cruz with the Brewers will likely come down to money. However, with a one-year deal likely in place to land Cruz and Milwaukee looking to repeat as division champs, bringing on board a slugging veteran could be an intriguing addition.