Minnesota Twins land impressive haul for Nelson Cruz

Nelson Cruz was one of the most popular players in the trading block. With the Minnesota twins clearly out of contention at AL Central and Wild Court, the question was where Cruz would go if he wasn’t traded.

That question was answered on Thursday when the twins sent Cruz to Tampa Bay Flight under a four-player deal. Cruz and the small league pitcher Calvin Foucher towards the rays Joe Ryan and Drew Strootman.

The Minnesota Twins have been impressing Nelson Cruz for two months

It is clear why Cruz even had such a demand among National League teams. He has produced a .294 / .370 / .537 strike line in 346 court appearances with 19 homers and 13 doubles, with 151 OPS + ranked fifth in the American League. The light line gave stable results, but specifically needed another electric shock. Cruz fills this void in a decent way.

However, the Twins achieved an impressive prayer of essentially two-month cruise prospects. Both Ryan and Strootman are close to major league preparations, and seeing both in Minnesota in some seasons isn’t a shock, especially when the Twins continue to sell.

Ryan could be the first person to reach this pair. He excelled in Triple-A after putting on a forward-looking map in 2019. He placed 3.63 ERAs and 0.789 WHiP in 57 innings in Durham in a single session and took 75 batters with just ten runs. His funky delivery, combined with a fastball and a slider combination that plays much faster than their speed, makes him an attractive arm, even if he eventually completes the relief role.

Strootman was also in the Triple-A, although he may have to spend more time in the minor due to his lack of professional experience. Due to Tommy John’s surgery and missing season 2020, he has developed from 179 of the fourth round of the 2017 MLB Draft and has a total of 179 minor innings.

He has been reasonably strong this season, with 3.39 ERA and 1,423 WHiP in 58.1 innings, 62 strikeouts, although he has 33 tackles. Strootman showed off his fast pace and his second solid field with a sharp cut and twist, but his command issues will likely determine his future. If he can use his stuff, he can be in the middle of a tight start starter. Otherwise, he has the kind of object that can turn him into a weapon.

For the Twins team, which lacks a pitching perspective, Ryan and Strootman are totally on the hunt. There was some risk of the boxers ending up with both pitchers, but the potential they had was enough to break up with Cruz. It’s also possible that the Twins will bring Cruz back next season because he loves the organization and is a free agent after this year.

The Minnesota twins made the anticipated move in the Nelson Cruz trade. Their return was especially amazing for a two-month rental.