The Padres announced a series of roster moves today, recalled left-hander José Castillo, right-hander Matt Waldron and infielder Matthew Batten. In corresponding moves, right-hander Domingo Tapia was optioned to Triple-A El Paso, righty Michael Wacha was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 2) with right shoulder inflammation and designated hitter Nelson Cruz was designated for assignment.
Cruz, 43, has long been one of the most feared sluggers in the league but has struggled over the past couple of years. In 2021, he was hitting .294/.370/.537 for the Twins with a 142 wRC+ when they flipped him to the Rays. That deal worked out very well for the Twins but Cruz slumped after switching jerseys, hitting just .226/.283/.442, 95 wRC+. He then signed with the Nats for 2022 but hit just .234/.313/.337 for a wRC+ of 85.
As last season was winding down, he underwent surgery to address some inflammation in his eye, which he said was impacting his ability to pick up spin on the ball. The Padres took a gamble on a bounceback from Cruz, giving him a $1MM guarantee on a one-year deal. Unfortunately, that hasn’t come to pass, with Cruz hitting just .245/.283/.399 thus far for a wRC+ of 85. He’s striking out at a 30.3% rate and walking just 3.9% of the time, both of those marks easily the worst of his career.
He’s essentially just a designated hitter at this point in his career, having not played the outfield since 2018 and logging just one inning at first base this year. That makes it especially important that he produce at the plate, something he hasn’t been able to do for a couple of years now.
The Padres will now have one week to trade Cruz or pass him through waivers. It’s possible that some club is intrigued based on his past production and modest salary, though that remains to be seen. As a veteran with more than five years of service time, he would have the right to reject an outright assignment in the event he clears waivers while retaining his salary. That means he’s likely to end up released if the Friars can’t find a trade partner in the coming days.
As for Wacha, his shoulder has been an ongoing minor issue. His start on June 24 was skipped due to fatigue in that shoulder, though he did later take the ball on July 1 and toss five innings. Manager Bob Melvin tells AJ Cassavell of MLB.com that the club is trying to use next week’s All-Star break to give him a chance to fully heal up. He has a 2.84 ERA through 15 starts this year, so the team will surely be hoping that a little breather is all he needs to get back on track.
It would be cool to see him get to 500 HRs but I don’t think it’s going to happen
Yeah, but thanks to the steroid era for taking the shine off of the 500 homer mark.
He only had 77 going into his age 30 season. Tough to get to 500 without age 20-29 production. Wonder what clicked to make his 30’s so productive.
WW – Haha… good one!
@Wampum he barely played til the age of 28. When given the opportunity he could hit for power that opportunity did not present itself til he was almost 30. U say it as tho he played regularly all through his 20s which was in no way the case.
Tigers – Sounds like you’re unaware of what he’s getting at.
He got busted in 2012 for using PEDs several years.
I’m aware of what he was alluding to. But regardless of PEDs players like Cruz who don’t really have a position definitely rarely get an opportunity just to DH early in their 20s. Can’t blame teams for not handing out the opportunity either. As we discussed elsewhere in this thread pure DHs can come at a cost to position players as well as at the cost of a roster spot.
I don’t understand the connection with PEDs and counting stats. They help you increase muscle mass and recovery time, that’s it. There is no magic pill or super juice out there that will help you hit a major league curveball or fastball. Yes we had the steroid era but I don’t understand what the big deal was if the pitcher was on the juice and the hitter was as well, who cares? Who had the advantage? Baseball itself should be shouldering a ton of blame for all of those home runs. Just like when they doctor the ball now to induce better hitting or pitching they did back in the mid 90s. Or do you think that PEDs got so much better from the 80s to the 90s? After the strike they had to make baseball exciting and that is what they did. Unfortunately boneheaded stat counting fans think you can take PEDs, step up to the plate and send a 99mph fastball with 4 inches of movement into the cheap seats…
@thecoffin u r correct PEDs alone will not help the average man suddenly b able to hit MLB pitches. For those with the talent to do so, when they hit it the extra strength translates to the ball being hit harder. Also I’m sure the added strength improves bat speed which can help someone of their abilities generate more bat speed and get to or adjust on pitches they otherwise would not.
Bottom line is the P(performance) E(enhancing) D’S; the classification of those drugs have been named as they have for a reason.
Saw the ball better
Actually age 28 was his breakout season and it wasn’t like he was getting a lot of playing time before that. The Brewers got rid of him after 8 games.
Based on my observations: A’s pitching.
*500
36 HR’s to go but has only hit 15 Home Runs over his last 672 AB’s. The power is gone and at his current rate of production he would have to play into his age 46 season to accomplish the feat.
Not sure if anyone gives him a chance for the rest of this sesson but appears Cruz has reached the end of the line
Mets
Rangers as a platoon DH
Always think of the rangers had they replaced him in bottom of 9th World Series vs cardinals his defensive replacement would have most likely caught David Freese run trying triple and the rangers would have had their first wild series ever. Solid career hope someone signs him
I keep wondering. If Cruz wasn’t completely juiced up out of his mind smashing every Tiger pitch out of the yard in 2011, would Detroit had gotten their first chip since 84. Guess we’ll never know.
I also wonder why baseball would collude to black ball Bonds and curtail his seemingly endless super human production, but they allowed a guy like Cruz to stay in the sport even though his performance was obviously tainted.
prob because it was just old man strength.
we saw a similar career pattern with David Ortiz (late bloomer)
and there’s no conclusive evidence Big Papi juiced
Why designate Cruz? He WASN’T the problem
Right? A .681 OPS with a few bombs isn’t the worst thing in the world for a 43 year old making $1 million. My real question is who they expect to give ABs to that seriously makes a difference
They’ve shifted into a mode where they’re just gonna throw handfuls of crap against the wall and see what sticks. Always a time-tested winning formula in baseball.
A DH that cannot hit is crap. He didn’t stick. Now they call up someone who can at least play a position on the field while he is hitting poorly.
It’s somewhat like Miggy. Last year it didn’t seem he had enough left to get a single. I thought he was done but he’s hit a few out this season. Maybe Nelson can join the Tigers and they can retire together.
Miguel Cabrera has 1 HR this season
eh, that’s well below average and the Padres are trying to win. they don’t have time to accept poor results because of who it is. it’s not like he adds speed and/or good defense to make up for the poor hitting. He needed to be replaced.
Carpenter sucks just as bad if not worse
But Carp is LH and has a 2 year 15 mil contract about 9 years younger and can at least take the field when needed – Cruz didn’t even bring a glove to SD, was only at 1 mil and they needed a change from his atrocious AB’s – when you look at stats omit the first 10 days when he came out hot to get a real sense of what the last 70 games have been like.
Matt Carpenter is not 9 years younger
Allow a little facetiousness with regard to Cruz “only being 43”. Even allowing for what is reported it’s still 6 so not an alarming error.
Carpenter can at least play passable defense at several positions which is what the Padres are looking for right now.
Carpenter and Cruz and pray for booze?
SeñorTortas A big thing with that is that he’s only a DH. That kind of production at the plate just doesn’t justify a roster spot for a guy who can’t run and field. He limits the team’s lineup flexibility.
If you’re going to clog the DH spot out of necessity, you have to hit the ball pretty well, and Cruz doesn’t do that anymore.
Tort – They will probably give some guys like Xander and Manny days off from the field by DHng. And Nelson was a malcontent when he should have been a leader.
@Fever I hope you are right. Except for in a few rare instances that’s how I feel all DH spots should b utilized. Keeping important bats in lineup while providing rest from the field.
Tigers – Exactly! Xander is definitely hurting, but playing because he’s trying to live up to the contract. A few days DHng will do him good, and it’s not like SD has a shortage of shortstops!
Gary Sanchez would bat DH, I suppose? Though that would suck to because that means Nola is going to get more AB’s. Someone from the farm? I admit I didn’t see a good solution just looking at the roster.
Batten can play a lot of positions favorably and probably the best bat option not named Tim Lopes who isn’t on the 40.
Give the young guys 10-15 AB’s to see what you got –
Can’t be any worse than Cruz and well, trade deadline is coming and Cruz wasn’t surviving that anyway.
Come on Batten stinks.
Campusano is set to come off the IL around the All Star break.
Open up DH time for guys to get days off from the field + carry another pitcher on the active roster.
Machado
Tatis Jr
Bogaerts
Could call up Tim Lopes who’s doing well in AAA. Offers more position flexibility.
Math, this actually makes sense
Math – see my post above. Don’t think Tim has a 40 spot. I think the Azocar, Batten, Dixon group will hold it down until Campy gets back. That group can take the field to give regulars a rest day at DH where Cruz couldn’t.
If Cruz could provide any help defensively I don’t think keeping him around would b an issue. But keeping around an aging pure DH who provides nothing defensively and doesn’t produce much offensively is hard to justify a roster spot.
Tired of being under Cruz control
43-year old cheater. Better use the roster spot for a younger, legitimate player.
85 OPS+ and he can only DH. He is eating a roster spot that is best spent on someone that can at least play a position also. In answer to Senor below, they are not looking for an impact bat, they are looking for someone that can have more positional flexibility as it said in the article.
Coulda been a member of the 500 home run club if he hadn’t suddenly lost his power in 2022 and 2023. But, it seems he’s going to fall juuuuuuust a bit short.
someone will pick him up , but this will be his final season
so agreed.
can we make Nelson Brew Cruz finally happen plz?
Admittedly, wasn’t watching a lot of Padre action, but surprising to see Cruz get cut. Every so often I’d see a highlight of his bashing one into the outfield and there was so much talk of other issues on the club. Hopefully a change of scenery will help him get some personal milestones or contribute to another cause.
Baseball – a few padres fans and I have addressed the “why” for Cruz – from May he has been abominable and wasn’t getting better with age (see what I did there) like maybe a young guy will.
Wow (I’m not the Wow guy. I just really found this interesting)
made me
Come to Texas
I think this is definitely a clubhouse move. He hasn’t been playing much. A lot of Carpenter, who is hitting worse than Cruz I think. He probably was openly complaining effecting the younger guys they have there. Clashes whatnot. This is a move designed to help the second half surge I think.
Nelson Cruz complaining? You must not know him well.
Take their comment as a grain of salt. I tend to weigh comments like that when they start with
” I think this is definitely.”
It’s a wordy way to discount whatever follows.
He always seemed like a great clubhouse guy. Granted I do not know first hand.
Jay you are entitled to your perceived speculation just like the rest of us but I don’t think your version has anything at all to back it up. Feel free to consider and critique my version of why it was time for Cruz above.
No matter what happens next he has certainly come out on top in the Nelson Cruz versus Andrew Bailey career comparison.
Someone has to give him an opportunity right? Maybe NYY? It “worked” for his platoon mate Carpenter last year
I would say not likely because of Stanton mainly at DH
agreed. Cruz is a typical Yankee pickup with Judge out
unfortunately once AJ comes back, Cruz will be an extremely limited role in NY
Rangers are a great fit if he wants a potential ring, but he needs to know he’ll be a pure platoon.
Not sure what team would use him as their primary DH but im sure there’s one or 2
Yeah, yeah, I think I will… retire. Good night, Coleman. Thanks, man.
At least you all didn’t give up Joe Ryan to get him…yeah as a rays fan I’m still mad about it lol
Brewers should pick him up
Another guy who can’t play defense, hit, or run is exactly what they need!
Nellie we miss you in Twins land. Any interest in an assistant hitting coach position? Opportunity to advance to head hitting coach position likely..
.245 BA, 5 HR, 23 RBI on a $1M contract. There are a lot of players making a lot more money with worse stats than Cruz. Wouldn’t mind seeing CLE pick him up.
It never bums me out when a known PED cheater is no longer in baseball.
Of course he’ll just get an ESPN or FOX gig, which is another reason I try not watch them broadcast games.
Carpenter next hopefully
Bummer…I wish him well.
Cruz didn’t seem to be the problem if you’re going pure DH. Maybe decided to use some one there with ability to play defense?
Well maybe the corpse of Nelson Cruz is what the Blue Jays need to try and revive their feeble offense.
I saw him at the Cleveland Airport today flying in.
Please Mets pick him up and DFA Vogelslug!!
Setting up for second half success
Steph if you want to know read above.
For stats to add to it: 3 of 5 Hr’s were in April; 20 of 35 hits were in April. 6 total BB.
He has been horrendous (I keep using different adjectives) since 4/30 and can’t play the field. At 43 after 2 months of what he has (or hasn’t) done with the bat, it isn’t coming back.
He can’t even take the field to spell regulars while they DH.
Ok and it’s taken him 2 months to hit his last 2 HR so how long for the next 3.
Again, his overall stats are skewed by April where he got 20 of his 35 hits –
That means 15 in the past 2 + months – see the trend for a 43 year old DH and don’t call this is a “small sample size” as compared for some 23 year old on a first call up.
He was destined to be an upgrade candidate trade deadline so this is just a precursor to that by giving a couple of young guys a small sample size to see what they might do.
Small samples in MLB mean a heck of a lot more than stats from 2021 and prior.
Desert – good call. I was thinking how the small sample size of April (being good) was being used to outweigh the so called “small sample size” of the next 9 weeks where he was horrible to justify the faith in Cruz but your take is even more justified as exposing how the real “small sample size” was a hot month in April out of the past 2-3 years.
For the record, I’m all for allowing for a true small sample size on a young player as not being determinative of his worth – good or bad.
You don’t think Carpenter has a chance to catch fire? Carpenter had a 1.139 OPS with 15 homers in 128 AB’s last year for the Yankees. If that is not catching fire, then what is?
hes coming back to seattle
Yea because we could really benefit from a 43 yr old guy who only plays DH, can’t recognize the spin on a breaking ball, is in the 1% percentile in walks and strikes out over 30% of his AB’s. The M’s fanbase would love another hitter like that.
The M’s are currently getting about .165 from the DH spot. s
So ya, I’d welcome him and his .245 BA back to Seattle.
lol yea i would much prefer him over Wong or Polluck…plus it would be good for julio and hernandez
Welcome back to Seattle, Nellie
I like Cruz, but it’s a good move for a few ailing padres (Bogaerts, Machado.. even the other 2 in mount crushmore) to get DH at bats and freshen up.
Batten has potential and at least is a serviceable bench option at many positions, and could platoon at 1B with Cronenworth.
Also, DFA Cruz can give that same spot to Eguy Rosario when he’s healthy. He had a nice cup of coffee last year.
Carpenter may be a DFA candidate post trade deadline, but he’s a lot easier to trade if on the roster and he does something. Padres don’t have a better lefty hitting bench option or so itseems, besides Odor.
Eguy is a good thought too and hopefully ready after the break as he has been playing for a couple of weeks. Also Campy in that same mix soon.
Rosario is with the Chihuahuas now and his rehab stint is up any day now. That is a good call that I had not thought of.
How about one more drug test for old times sake?
How do the Padres cycle through so many top catching prospects and end up with Nola?
Campy is on IL and will he given a shot when he returns. He has had a couple of shots in past 2-4 years and not lived up to expectations- part of why the trade for Nola was necessary.
He is the only top C prospect that I can recall for the Padres in the past few years (there are a couple of low A types now) so not sure who you are remembering as having been cycled thru.
Maybe Mejia and Torrens? Mejia was a top 100 prospect the Padres got in a trade with Cleveland. He is sucking wind in Tampa now. Torrens went to Seattle in the Nola trade and has never been any good, but he was not a top prospect.
I’ll allow Mejia that I had somehow forgotten but not Torrens as he was a Rule 5 pick up and I don’t think (but won’t bother looking up) that he was ever anything on prospect lists.
That said, Frankie as he was called, hasn’t really been anything to get upset about and when he was traded, Campy was perceived to be on the ready.
I was standing next to Frankie at a fence in Peoria in probably 2018 ST and I’m a safe 5’8” and he was shorter than me and he had cleats on!
There was also a guy named Austin Allen ended up with A’s but not a high prospect at all.
Trade for Luken Baker
Would love to see him go back to Texas once he’s released and wrap it up in Arlington.
Go get him Dipoto! .245 would be a 70 point improvement on the crap the M’s have been trotting out there at DH.
Cruz looked finished last year in DC. The eyesight issue was maybe a semi-plausible reason to take a low cost flier, but it seems pretty likely that time has finally caught up with him.
Cronenworth, Dixon, Carpenter, and Cruz are all underperforming, with Cruz having the highest OPS, but the worst defense and baserunning.
I know Cronenworth isn’t getting cut, but I thought it might be someone else.
Cruz is barely hitting better than the others, so this does make sense. Matt Carpenter offers little more on defense. He has only played 1b this year, but I guess he could play elsewhere. Carpenter at 1b allows other guys to DH.
Oh well, I suppose it is time to let a young man play.
Truth – see my comments on here –
20 of 35 hits and 3 of 5 HR were in April. That OPS is skewed bad as a result. His last 60-70 days is why he was released –
Realizing at 43 he isn’t likely rebounding back to 2020 or April 2023.
Carp is Lh and on 2 year 15 mil contract – hard to DFA that at this point when he at least can be that Lh PH and spell 1b – like you pointed out.
Also – trade deadline is coming for likely improvement at DH but give 2-3 young guys (2 are on IL or rehab in Eguy and Campy) a chance and maybe you don’t have to make a trade at all for DH
Glad Carpenter is playing some. Another old timer who could not play baseball without being a DH! I do admire him for going back to the Minors to rehab his career!
He was supposed to keep Fernando Ringworm Jr. in line.
Maybe he was the sacrificial DH to stir up the clubhouse.
Cruz played too long, not paid much. played poorly this year equals DFA DFA! Nice career!
Keith Ginter says, “hello”.
Word on the street in Bridgeport Chicago us that he is about to sign a minor league deal with the Whitesox. They love taking chances on washed up players like they did in the past with George Foster, Steve Sax, Jose Canseco, Steve Carlton, Manny Ramirez , Ken Griffey , Tom Seaver, John Kruk , Chris Sabo , Justin Morneau, and the list gos on and on and on
Royals should add him cause he’s still better than all but 3 or 4 of their entire lineup
I figured a career long steroid user playing right by Tijuana would do better.
Tatís could’ve hooked him up, too.
It might have been a b12 shot . That’s what Rafael Palmerio claimed lol
Ha-seong Kim should be playing every day with his outstanding D, aggressive (and interesting) base running along with better than last year pop in the batter’s box. Rotate the DH through Sanchez, Bogarts, Tati, Manny and Jake (and Carpenter if you must).
Why in the world would you take Tatis out of RF unless it is to play CF? He leads MLB in DRS. No. Just no.
But I thought the Padres were supposed to be a superteam?
Nelson Cruz’ current B..A. would be an improvement over the Minnesota Twins’ collective B.A.. Perhaps bring Nelson Cruz back to Minnesota, and make the current DH, Byron Buxton, .216/.306/.457 in 69 Games, 245 AB. got back to playing in the outfield.
If nothing else, Nelson Cruz would improve the Twins as a player(DH)/hitting coach.
Wish the Twins would get him back. They need a boost against left handed pitchers, but as long as they have Buxton injured and playing only DH this year I don’t see it happening. Cruz’s game really plays well at Target Field.
The A’s could use someone who bats over .240
See, Tigers? It is possible to DFA a player.