Jul 23-
The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired Nelson Cruz from the Minnesota Twins
Tampa Bay adds a big bat to the lineup. 👀
Rays acquire DH Nelson Cruz from Twins in 4-player deal. https://t.co/rmBRCxJtSU pic.twitter.com/OFMk6LJjxo
— MLB (@MLB) July 22, 2021
WOW! Rays make a big splash adding a slugger to their already great lineup. Nelson Cruz full stat line this year is the following;
.294 AVG / .370 OBP / 44 R / 19 HR / 50 RBI
Cruz has always been a great hitter who can hit for average and power. This seems like a perfect fit for the Rays. Cruz will now become the full-time DH for the Rays.
On the other end, The Twins received prospects Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman. Jeff Passan quoted the following;
The Rays get the single best bat on the market and someone with an A+ clubhouse reputation. But the Twins did very well, too, in getting Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman, two hard-throwing right-handers who are close to big-league-ready.
– Jeff Passan
The Rays have one of the best farm systems in baseball, so losing these two players should only make a small dent.
Projected Rays Lineup
- Brandon Lowe (2B)
- Randy Arozarena (LF)
- Nelson Cruz (DH)
- Austin Meadows (RF)
- Wander Franco (3B)
- Yandy Diaz/Ji Man Choi (1B)
- Kevin Kiermaier (CF)
- Mike Zunino (C)
- Taylor Walls/Joey Wendle (SS)
I think Taylor Walls and Joey Wendle will split time for the rest of the season. Whoever plays better will get the starting role for the playoffs. I also think Ji Man Choi and Yandy Diaz will go through the same thing at first base, with potentially Austin Meadows competing as well. In the outfield, Margot is the lone man out. If Margot hits well, Meadows could shift to first base. Either way, this Rays lineup is stacked and primed for another strong playoff run.
Will the Rays make another splash? I think they will try and trade for a starting pitcher, since they most likely have lost Tyler Glasnow for the rest of the season.
If you like this article, be sure to check out more of our baseball content! Also, we are launching our new Weekly Tournament game for MLB this season so be sure to look out for that. We will be doing free-rolls and large prize pools all season!
