Yesterday at the Winter Meetings here in Las Vegas, I sat down with Nelson Cruz’s agent Bryce Dixon for an interview.
How are you positioning Nelson Cruz in this market when you talk to GMs?
He’ll be the straw that stirs in the drink in the middle of the lineup for you. He changes the entire lineup. When he’s in the middle there, the pitcher has to pitch completely differently and he’s the finishing piece that you know is going to go out there and give you exactly the production that you see on the back of the baseball card that you see every single year.
And when he gets into the playoffs, he’s already proven that the bigger the moment, the bigger he shines. You start to look back to some of the bombs he hit in the playoffs for Texas and you know he is a big-time player and he is burning to get back into the playoffs. He thought that the Mariners were going to do it this year. Obviously they fell short, and he was disappointed at that. Clearly he thought they had unfinished business, but the Mariners are going in a different direction so he’ll have to do it with another team.
He’s the guy that you plug in every single day in the middle of the lineup and rakes. Apart from that, he’s also a very good influence on the younger players, teaching them not only secrets of hitting, but how to conduct themselves on and off the field. He’s not a guy who is very vocal in the clubhouse. He’s not going to get up and start yelling at guys, but he’s definitely a one-on-one, lead-by-example guy, who’s going to take the younger guys and say, “If you want to be successful for as long as I’ve been successful, here’s how you do it.” That’s kind of how he leads because he’s definitely not a “ra ra” guy, but he’s always working hard, always having fun, and that rubs off on the younger guys for sure.
You mentioned a finishing piece. How important is it for Cruz to play for a contending team in 2019?
It’s important and I think where he’s at in his career, if you’re not a contender, you don’t really have a need for a Nelson Cruz. So the teams that are in on him want to win. He clearly wants to win and would love to get back to the playoffs and the World Series. He’s got unfinished business as far as that’s concerned. So yes, it’s of utmost importance, he wants to go back to the playoffs. Wherever he signs will be a team that has got designs on making the playoffs.
The general assumption is that National League teams can’t be in the mix for Cruz. Would you agree with that?
National League teams could be in the mix. He would love to play the field, but the last few years the Mariners have wanted him to exclusively DH. They had a ton of quality, quality outfielders so he didn’t play the field unless it was an NL park. Down the stretch he told the Mariners, end of August, September, “Start playing me more when we play the NL teams because we need to win these games and I know I can help out.” He did well there. He’ll do whatever the team wants, so if an NL team wants to put him in the field, he has no problem with that. Obviously he’s been DH, so the majority of the teams that are after him are American League teams.
If you’re looking at AL contenders with DH openings it looks like there are 4-5 suitors, and that feels a lot different than shopping around a reliever who might make sense for 20 teams. Have GMs been trying to leverage that against you?
Even though you’re clearly in a smaller universe because of who he is and which teams would have that need, they haven’t because there are enough teams that they don’t want to come in and lowball and try to act like there’s nowhere else for him to go. All 30 teams aren’t in like they would be on a middle reliever type, maybe, but there are numerous teams in so there’s enough to push his market where it needs to go. If there was only one or two, then maybe it would be a different answer. But there’s numerous, so he’s fine where he’s at.
In general when you have a free agent, how is it that you decide that you’ve got that last dollar or that the bidding has stopped?
There’s no perfect answer but you can sense from the team’s side, the tonal change, and it’s a feeling that you get. “OK, we’re at a point that we need to make a decision.” You have to try to read the future as much as possible. And think, if we don’t pull the trigger now, can this market collapse, or are we going to be fine waiting longer? It’s the totality of the circumstances. You’re looking at what happens with other players with other teams. Teams nowadays especially with trades, you’re kind of mixing them all together and coming up with the feeling, “OK, now is go time.”
swanhenge
Good get Tim. This is cool insight from an agents perspective. I dont buy for a minute that he’ll end up in the NL, but it’s certainly interesting to hear from someone w access to negotiations.
dimitrios in la
Yes, Tim, thanks for the interview. That said, agents (not just Boras) sound preposterous, absurd, when talking up their clients. Good for ownership for taking a more considered stance these last few years. It’s a positive trend.
swanhenge
Agents are salespeople w law degrees. They’re one step below lobbyists. They could sell a case of Bubble Yum to the lockjaw ward at Bellevue Hospital. You can’t do that sort of thing unless you’re a Jedi of the English language.
biasisrelitive
Yay for the billionaire owners what a positive trend
pickandersen
Nice piece Tim. Great to hear his agents’ side of the story after all of yesterday’s rumors.
sportingdissent
He’s the perfect veteran for a young team. I’m hoping the White Sox need to give him a long look.
kc38
The story says a contender lol
sportingdissent
Yeah, but that’s not going to happen
NOPelicanFangirl696969
The rays are a contender and have been in talks with cruz…?
Frank Barrett
Yes the rays figure to be a contender who defiantly need one to two impact bats to solidify roster.
Though as a rays fan I feel in a twilight zone hearing the rumors. 3 or 4 15 to 20 million a year guys that we are considering. That’s the range why we trade off most our big stars. I hope they pull the trigger on one or two, but not convinced that will happen. Very few times have we ever paid that much to get a player in FA and most didn’t live up to hype.
But with the red sox and yanks rosters we have to add an impact bat. Cruz is my preferred option. But wouldn’t mind signing Cruz and maybe trading for realmuto. If they do and doesn’t look like they have the edge on bosom and yanks look for those players to get traded mid season or next off season. For more affordable option.
sox34
All these home runs are tainting the game. I wish we could go back to the 50s, when I was in high school. Old school bat on ball, small ball. Nelson Cruz is the epitome of stupidity.
sportingdissent
I hope this is a joke.
Endersgame
If it’s not a joke, he isn’t probably a fan of Ken Griffey Jr or Willie Mays either…
sox34
Ken Griffey might have hit a lot of home runs but he couldn’t drop down a bunt for his life. He probably shouldn’t have played as long as he did. If you can’t drop one down, then you shouldn’t be playing
Triteon
The Kid was 30-54 (.652 avg) lifetime when bunting. Sox34 is nothing but a misinformed troll.
24TheKid
He’s not even good at being a troll.
Triteon
Check your math — Nelson Cruz is an above-league average hitter. We’re living in an age of the three true outcomes; the era of the placesetter is over. That said, I’d love to see league-wide BA’s back in the .260-.263 range, (Or quite a bit lower than Cruz’s career BA.)
SaberScout87
I enjoy bunting, but it’s statistically proven to be harmful when it comes to run expectancy. Mathematically it’s an adverse outcome as you are risking 1 of 27 outs.
sox34
I don’t care about run expectancy I care about the integrity of the game
bradthebluefish
And I care about winning. Hitting a homer in count for 1 to 4 runs. That’s a more exciting way to win.
sportingdissent
Integrity of the game? Did home runs not exist before the modern era?
Sounds like you’re hating on something because guys got better at it.
ayrbhoy
Sox34- Sadly, I call myself a Mariners fan. We’ve had our share of all or nothing HR hitters at the Safe-Trumbo and Smoak come to mind. But Nelson Cruz? He was so much more than a HR hitter, he often choked up on the bat ‘old school style’ when we needed a hit or a run in a tight situation. So many dbls, singles- much more than a HR hitter
Padres458
Ah, the old man who wants to go back in time. Sorry old man. Good news u will be dead soon, and can stop taintinf the world
sox34
Just because I am eligible for AARP does not make me old. In fact, I’m quite proud.
ellisburks
Why back in my day, in the 50’s, there were no home runs. You shoulda seen Mantle hit majestic bunts down third base. Mays hitting bloop singles then advancing to second on an error got the crowds nipples harder than a maple bat. Everyone remembers when Maris screwed that all up in 60 when he hit all those smelly home runs and ruined the integrity of the game. Also, why are movies more than a nickle now?
Endersgame
So Babe Ruth with his 714 career home runs are a stain on the game? How about his MLB best career slugging percentage? No one, in the history of MLB, has as high of a slugging percentage as the Sultan of Swat. If all of the home runs in the current era “are tainting the game”, then Babe’s higher home run total must also be a stain on the game, yes?
macstruts
Will he teach your players how to take PEDs and pass drug tests? Sounds like a great influence to me.
sox34
Exactly.
AnthonyIsMyFavPlayer
Agents say the darndest things. ” This drug cheat is a great clubhouse presence.” No thanks.
slowcurve
Dudes that go sans-stache with a beard pee sitting down and listen to Ricky Martin.
AnthonyIsMyFavPlayer
Common side effects of those drugs.
nytex
Straight talk here, Houston is the place for you!!!!! We fans want you with us. Keep the faith, this FO is very thorough and wants to have the dominos fall in a specific order. The Ring “My Precious” it is all about the Ring.
kc38
I predict 90% he doesn’t go to Houston lol
nytex
In Luhnow we trust
nytex
Gollum is not calling the shots in Houston. All FAs should choose wisely. Houston is in good hands with the ownership and FO.
astrosfan4life
Dilly Dilly!
Cheeseman Forever
“Straw that stirs the drink”? Nice player if you can wade through the agent-speak.
Samuel
Stole that quote (that disturbed and upset Thurman Munson) from Reggie Jackson……..
The first of the self-promoting players.
Had others…..
“If I had years like Hank Aaron they couldn’t afford to pay me”.
He never did, but made a mint anyway,
its_happening
The good: Cruz hit .218 at home, so leaving Seattle might help him even more.
The bad: Cruz went .242/314 in the second half, numbers tailed after June and labored in September. However, power numbers are still there.
Find a good team, find a hitters ballpark and find a team needing a DH. There’s your straw.
horrorluvr
Tho guy has had a really really nice career, underrated imo.
astrosfan4life
I said that recently. Probably the most underrated of that last decade. Solid producer year-in and year-out.
AnthonyIsMyFavPlayer
His pharmacist might be underrated he is a stain on the game.
astros_fan_84
I enjoyed the second half of the interview. The first half was silly.
scarfish
Outstanding read. Thanks dude
xabial
Tim,
My favorite series was “Why I chose my agent”
Heard you on interview with WEEI’s Rob Bradford on his show after saw it in a recent mlbtr post.
I was sad you cancelled it, but after hearing you mention briefly why, I finally understood and accepted it. Anyway, my point is, this post, although nothing alike, reminded of those 1-on-1 interviews you had with players regarding their relationship with their agents. I know prob not coming back but just wanted to thank you for those series and this 1-to-1 agent interview perspective of Nelson Cruz’s agent
JayRyder
Interesting Article. . . The mind of an agent. Not that far off. Besides the jargon. . . . .