The likelihood of Nelson Cruz returning to the Texas Rangers after one career year away in Baltimore was very slim, but on Monday any hope Rangers fans might have had officially came to an end, and to make matters worse, he's going back to the AL West as he reportedly signed a four-year deal worth $57 million to play for the Seattle Mariners.
This is scary because it signals an "all-in" approach from the Mariners, who won 87 games last year and already have the best pitching in the division.
All the Mariners have needed for years now is some big offense, and Cruz's addition definitely gives them that.
In case you forgot, Cruz led all of baseball with 40 home runs and drove in 108 runs while playing 159 games to tie his career high. He gives the Mariners a legitimate middle-of-the-order "oh-crap-that-guy-is-up-next" bat that they've lacked for years but got last year in Robinson Cano.
Now, they can pair Cruz with Cano and up-and-coming star Kyle Seager to make a formidable lineup.
This move might just make the Mariners the favorite in the West given their starting rotation and their suddenly potent lineup.
