Cruz: Bringing the Boomstick

[nfotiu]

It would be like 3.5 million at the deadline. Small price to pay if a team thinks he can actually help. If he hits teams will be interested. He’s not hitting any worse than Schwarber or Bell at this time last year.

So he's on track to get awesome, and then get injured right before the trade deadline?   

[aspenbubba]

It would be like 3.5 million at the deadline. Small price to pay if a team thinks he can actually help. If he hits teams will be interested. He’s not hitting any worse than Schwarber or Bell at this time last year.

I'm not sure where you went to school but 1/3 of 15 mil is 5 mil. I agree that he is not hitting worse than Schwarber and Bell last year at this time but he is considerably older and coming off a bad last half last year and yes so was Schwarber

[Natsinpwc]

I'm not sure where you went to school but 1/3 of 15 mil is 5 mil. I agree that he is not hitting worse than Schwarber and Bell last year at this time but he is considerably older and coming off a bad last half last year and yes so was Schwarber

I thought he was making $10 million. This says actual salary is $12 million. So maybe bonus of $3 million already paid?  There is a buyout for next year which factors in.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/report-nelson-cruz-nationals-in-agreement-on-one-year-contract/sn-amp/

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nelson-cruz-5398/

[Natsinpwc]

Based on this seems it would be about $4 million of his $12 million salary and then I guess the entire $3 million buyout for 2023? Not sure how the latter works.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-possible-trade-candidates-for-2022.html

Teams will be looking out for whether or not he can hit for power and not really his average.

[Slateman]

I think they brought him to keep Juan Soto happy. Worth every penny. Anything more would be a bonus, and it looks like we aren't getting that bonus.

Half a season of Cruz isnt going to make Soto happy when the team still loses 95+ games.

We need to get something out of Cruz at the deadline. This season is an abject failure if we cant leverage our meager offseason into a piece or two that will improve the team.

[welch]

So far, Cruz looks like he is finished. Unless he starts to hit soon, meaning in a couple of weeks, he will have been an out-right loss.

[Smithian]

Cruz pinch hit for by Thomas last night. Something about his back.

Perfect time to send him to the "I'm bad" DL!

[UMDNats]

Yeah this seems like a good time for a poor performance DL stint where we can give Yadiel his DH at-bats.

[Smithian]

Yeah this seems like a good time for a poor performance DL stint where we can give Yadiel his DH at-bats.

Tres Barrera is raking in Rochester. he is on the 40 man. Call him up? Adams and Ruiz are both struggling at the plate. Maybe give them some games just focused on the bat at DH.

They'll probably just call Fox back up.

[imref]

Tres Barrera is raking in Rochester. he is on the 40 man. Call him up? Adams and Ruiz are both struggling at the plate. Maybe give them some games just focused on the bat at DH.

They'll probably just call Fox back up.

Ruiz had a good night last night (3-5), he's at .267 /.300 / .333, no power but average is pretty good for a catcher in his first full year in the majors.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Ruiz had a good night last night (3-5), he's at .267 /.300 / .333, no power but average is pretty good for a catcher in his first full year in the majors.

There's a huge disconnect between Ruiz's expected stats and his actuals given the amount and type of contact he makes.  wOBA of .285, xwOBA of .340. Some were blasting his lack of walks, but his 3 BBs are all in the past week so he may be past that. He hits the ball reasonably well in terms of hard/medium/soft contact.  He's close to league average (trading about 5% hard contact for medium), more pull and center than oppo relative to the league (24% league oppo, 12% him).  More important, he's hitting a lot of liners relative to league average (28% vs. 20%) without hitting many more flies.  By contact, his average should be over .290 (see xBA).  Ruiz can hit. He can hit more than well enough to be an everyday catcher.  Only reason to bring up Barrera right now would be to get Adams appearances at DH and 1B on top of his normal catching load.

Tres Barrera is raking in Rochester. he is on the 40 man. Call him up? Adams and Ruiz are both struggling at the plate. Maybe give them some games just focused on the bat at DH.

They'll probably just call Fox back up.

frankly, I would not want to cool off Ruiz or get him pressing.  His contact now is just fine.

[Slateman]

Tres Barrera is raking in Rochester. he is on the 40 man. Call him up? Adams and Ruiz are both struggling at the plate. Maybe give them some games just focused on the bat at DH.

They'll probably just call Fox back up.

Dude. Berrera is known commodity. He sucks.

[welch]

Barrera is a good-enough backup catcher to replace Adams. Let Adams play full time in Rochester.

Cruz, though, has not hit. That he cannot play the field means the Nats have a tiny bench and a nearly guaranteed O-fer. Post reports that Cruz was pulled because he had a stiff back. Best place to recover is in nice, warm Florida on a 10-day DL rest.

Then switch off YadiStar, Thomas, and Strange-Gordon around LF and DH. Start now, with all the room in the outfield in Denver.

[Mattionals]

Barrera is a good-enough backup catcher to replace Adams. Let Adams play full time in Rochester.

Cruz, though, has not hit. That he cannot play the field means the Nats have a tiny bench and a nearly guaranteed O-fer. Post reports that Cruz was pulled because he had a stiff back. Best place to recover is in nice, warm Florida on a 10-day DL rest.

Then switch off YadiStar, Thomas, and Strange-Gordon around LF and DH. Start now, with all the room in the outfield in Denver.

Let's all hope Cruz starts to hit and he can garner some value at the deadline. I think Bell is also gone at the deadline. I want to see Adams sent to AAA to get reps at both C and 1B, bring up Barrera as the backup catcher, and maybe get Yadi some time at 1B. You can rotate Yadi between DH/LF/1B, Adams between C/1B/DH, Ruiz between C/DH, and then use Barrera as the backup catcher in any situation needed.

[DPMOmaha]

Cruz's slump feels like Schwarber's start of last season before he went the heater of a lifetime.

[Slateman]

436ft bomb

[Slateman]

He's heating up

[Smithian]

Trade tomorrow

[hotshot]

Agree with JCA and others here about Ruiz's bat! A lot to like so far, given that it's his first real shot at the bigs. He can make contact, against run of the mill, or subpar pitchers, as well as against the best in the league. Not sure what his long ball ceiling is but gotta believe that'll improve.

Also, for me at least, his defense has been a pleasant surprise.

[imref]

bump. he can still hit.

[Smithian]

Off the IL and DH and hitting #4 for the second day in a row.

Can anyone logic this out? Him starting makes the team worse today and takes away at bats from guys who will be back next year.

Screw that "good guy in the locker room" bullcrap when they're giving Seth Romero yet another opportunity in the minors.

[Slateman]

Im assuming they're doing it to not be the team that sits veterans or some crap

[Natsinpwc]

Crazy stuff.  They are doing him a major favor just keeping him on the roster when he is no help at all.

[welch]

My hunch: he will start about one in three or one in four games. He can be the "veteran presence" in the clubhouse and on the bench while letting Davey start his preferred team. And he can still hit once and a while.

[aspenbubba]

What value does Cruz bring to this miserable team. He is damaging his own rep by constantly being trotted out there to flail at third strikes out of the zone.