The Seattle Mariners have made a move and signed Nelson Cruz to a four year deal in free agency and now they could be poised to make other trade deals after signing him, as names like Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton and Matt Kemp could be potential targets if the team opts to trade Hisashi Iwakuma this offseason.
The Mariners needed a big bat in their lineup and now they have added Cruz, who had a huge year with the Orioles last season. Cruz has some PED issues in his past, but the Mariners were willing to overlook that to get a deal done. According to sources, Cruz has signed for four years and around $57 million and now he joins a Mariners team that missed the playoffs by one game last season. The deal is getting done once Cruz takes a physical and now the Mariners have one of the best power hitters from last season in their lineup with Robinson Cano.
The team planned on spending this offseason and now they have done that with Cruz and more could be on the way. The team added Kyle Seager on a large extension and now Cruz comes in after leading the majors in home runs with 40 and finishing the season with 108 RBIs. Cruz was signed to a one year deal last offseason by the Orioles after the Mariners passed and clearly they wish they signed him then after the season he had. Cruz was suspended 50 games before last season for his connection to Biogenesis.
ESPNdeportes.com's Enrique Rojas reported that the deal is a "a four-year, $57 million deal that also includes a $1 million signing bonus." The team feels comfortable spending with the new TV revenue they have and with Cano and Felix Hernandez only getting older each year, the time is now for the Mariners to continue spending and to try and win. The Mariners needed a right handed hitter and now they have it and he is one of the top power hitters in the league from that side of the plate. The deal may look bad in a few years, but right now it's exactly what the Mariners need.
The team has also been connected to other players this offseason, including trade deals with Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes and Matt Kemp. This move may keep the team from making a trade like that, but they need more hitting and moving Hisashi Iwakuma could be an option. The team needs depth at the SP position, so they would have to get some back if they made a move with Iwakuma, even if it was an unproven player.
Upton is likely to get moved from the Braves after they traded Jason Heyward, while the Dodgers are looking to move Kemp. The Red Sox reportedly are interested in an Iwakuma for Cespedes deal, but that may not happen now that Cruz is in the fold. The Mariners have trade chips with Brad Miller and Chris Taylor and they could look at adding another pitcher or hitter using those players as options. The team signed Kyle Seager back and now they have Seager, Cano and Cruz as major threats on offense.