Nelson Cruz Signs Eslewhere, Orioles Fans Explode

It’s natural to express emotion when a former Oriole signs a free agent contract somewhere else. And if there’s one thing Orioles fans are good at, it’s emoting.

Some were relieved – relieved that the Orioles wouldn’t be paying a player for longer than his production will justify the expense.

Others were frustrated – frustrated to see other teams making moves and filling holes, while the Orioles remain idle.

Still a third category remained in the “meh” category.

I find myself squarely in the last camp, mostly because I didn’t expect the Orioles to resign Cruz in the first place. Nelson Cruz was an Oriole because his agent misplayed the 2014 offseason, and he became available on a steal of a deal. Sure, there was some risk involved (and some PED baggage), but let’s call a spade a spade: Dan Duquette made a play for Nelson Cruz because he fell (meteorically) into the Orioles’ price range.

The deal worked for both parties. Duquette and the Orioles got a big bat they needed during a season in which they had a real chance to compete – both for a division title, and for a world championship. Cruz, on the other hand, got a year to reset his value, and return to the free agency market in 2015. No matter what came afterward, this was a perfect pairing.

After his 2014 campaign, Cruz was going to get paid. P-A-I-D. That’s how baseball works. He said all the right things, saying that all things being equal, he’d prefer to return to Baltimore. Maybe he even meant it, but regardless, the Orioles were very much in the running to land this free agent. The team made their offer, but it wasn’t enough to land him.

The money wasn’t the problem, it turned out to be the length of contract. The Orioles weren’t going to offer Cruz a fourth year, and that was a gap the two sides couldn’t bridge. Cruz took a four-year, $57MM deal from the Mariners, and the Orioles…

… well, we don’t know.

And that uncertainty is hard for fans. Maybe it will work out. Maybe the Orioles will use that money to buy players that make sense for the club, its budget, its approach. Maybe the Cruz deal will look terrible for the Mariners in that fourth year. On the other hand, the Orioles could go on to botch the offseason, coming away with nothing other than the return of its three injured/suspended former All Stars (Matt Wieters, Manny Machado, Chris Davis). It’s possible that this is the first in a list of false steps that cost the team big in 2015. And it’s possible that Nelson Cruz puts Father Time in his place, and makes the Mariners look like geniuses.

We don’t know. So I’m “meh.” This was not a player I wanted to break the bank for, but I wouldn’t have minded seeing him back in black and orange. I didn’t want him back enough to emote hard core. Last offseason, I beat Dan Duquette up pretty bad for his inactivity. Duquette effectively shut me up by signing Cruz and Ubaldo Jimenez late in the game. Turns out he was .500 on those deals, but at least they did something. Good, bad, or indifferent, the team had some direction. They were trying something!

I’m a little more circumspect to criticize this year. After a generation of being a poor excuse for a baseball organization, the Orioles have earned the benefit of the doubt from me. The leash is short – I’ve lived through too many wasted seasons to be satisfied for long.

But today, with the news of Nelson Cruz’s signing? I’m “meh.” Feel free to act accordingly.