Could Nelson Cruz be a New York Yankee?

Former Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz has had a very good year with the Baltimore Orioles.  Especially considering they got him a the basement bargain price of $8.0 million on a one year deal.

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For the regular season Cruz had a batting line of .271/ .333/.525 with a league leading 40 home runs, 32 doubles, 2 triples and 108 RBI.  The most RBI any Texas Rangers player had this season was Adrian Beltre who had 77.

This was Nelson Cruz’s best season since 2010, but even during that season he only hit 22 home runs.  To go along with his outstanding regular season performance has been his post-season performance.  He’s doing his best to help the Orioles advance to the World Series past the red-hot Kansas City Royals.  So far during the ALCS he’s batting .444/.500./.566 with 2 RBI.

There have already been talks that the Orioles would love to re-sign him.  It makes sense for Nelson Cruz to stay and for the Orioles to want to keep him.  Cruz is having the best season of his career there and he’s been able to turn his imagine around with the Baltimore crowd.  He’s with a very good Orioles team and just might win his first World Championship with them.

The Orioles won’t be alone in trying to sign Nelson Cruz.  If for some reason things don’t work out Cruz could hit the open market and test the waters again.  It didn’t work out well last year, but he’s done everything right to bring his stock up and right now it’s sky high.  The New York Yankees are one team that would love to pursue him.

If they are able to get the same kind of production out of Cruz that the Orioles did this season, then it would help plug a hole in their lineup that was missing a good power hitter.   For those hoping or thinking that the Texas Rangers might have a chance on bringing him back don’t hold your breath.  Both the Orioles and Yankees will likely drive the price up to where the Rangers wouldn’t even consider it for a second.

Hopefully Nelson Cruz will end up with the Orioles and not the Yankees.  Either way it would preferably not be a team in the American League West that the Rangers would play frequently.