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MLB rumors: 5 favorites to trade for Nelson Cruz

By Eric Treuden

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 20: Nelson Cruz #23 of the Washington Nationals bats against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park on April 20, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 20: Nelson Cruz #23 of the Washington Nationals bats against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park on April 20, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 27: Nelson Cruz #23 of the Minnesota Twins bats and hits a home run against the Cleveland Indians on June 27, 2021 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 27: Nelson Cruz #23 of the Minnesota Twins bats and hits a home run against the Cleveland Indians on June 27, 2021 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

Nelson Cruz trade rumors: Minnesota Twins

A return to Minnesota where he experienced his last consistent string of success just feels right for Nelson ‘Boomstick’ Cruz.

Cruz spent 2019, 2020 and half of 2021 with the Twins, making an All-Star Game and posting two top-10 finishes in the AL MVP voting. He hit 41 home runs in 2019, driving in 108 and posting an absurd 168 OPS+, a number he topped the very next season when he posted a 171 OPS+ in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

Going into this year, the Twins looked to be locks to finish near the bottom of the AL Central after trading away a bunch of pieces at last year’s deadline. Here we are 35 games into 2022 and the club finds itself in first place, 3 games over the White Sox and Guardians with the Royals and Tigers seemingly already out of contention.

With the division suddenly appearing to be wide open for the taking, the Twins should make an aggressive move and swing a deal with the Nationals that brings Cruz back to the locale of his most recent success.

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