Nelson Cruz lands deal with NL contender

The Nelson Cruz Show is officially back for a 19th season.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported on Wednesday that seven-time All-Star has signed a one-year deal worth $1 million with the San Diego Padres. Cruz is expected to get ample at-bats for the Padres at the designated hitter spot, Passan adds.

Cruz, who turns 43 in July, hit .234 with 10 home runs and 64 RBI in 124 games for the Washington Nationals last season. While the Padres play in a more pitcher-friendly ballpark, the righty-hitting Cruz should help fill the power void left behind by the free agent departures of Brandon Drury and Josh Bell (who got most of the time at DH in the second half of last year).

We had shared earlier this week that a move for Cruz was a real possibility for the Padres. After making the NLCS in 2022, San Diego is going for it all this offseason, adding Cruz to their growing list of recent acquisitions along with Xander Bogaerts, Matt Carpenter and even a notable pitcher that they beat out a rival for.