Free-agent outfielder Nelson Cruz (left) has not yet found a team willing to meet his original contract target of $75 million over four years.
Along with Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury, Nelson Cruz was thought to be one of the top outfielders available on this winter’s free-agent market.
While the first three have all found homes with new clubs, however, Cruz remains unsigned as the new calendar year begins.
A number of factors are at play for Cruz, beginning with his relatively steep asking price of around $75 million. Some teams are also wary of a production drop-off following last season’s suspension for his ties to Biogenesis, and the fact that Texas made him a qualifying offer means that whatever club signs Cruz will be forced to give up draft pick compensation.
At the time of his 50-game suspension last year, Cruz was the Rangers’ leading power producer with 27 home runs and 76 runs batted in, and he finished second behind Adrian Beltre with a .506 slugging percentage.
His abbreviated 2013 season came at the end of a very productive five-year span in which Cruz established himself as one of the top sluggers in the game, having racked up 135 homers, 143 doubles and 407 RBIs since 2009.
Tracy Ringolsby of MLB.com notes that while Cruz was linked to a number of teams earlier this offseason (including Colorado, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Seattle), those organizations have already filled their power-hitting needs with other players.
“There’s no single issue that would scare a team away from Cruz, given the person he is,” Ringolsby writes. “The chain of events, however, has left Cruz – as respected as he is within the game – still waiting to find a team to play for in 2014.”
One recent example that could make ballclubs leery about signing Cruz is that of Blue Jays outfielder Melky Cabrera, who saw a significant drop in production last year after receiving a 50-game suspension in 2012 for testosterone use.
The Rangers have indicated that their offseason shopping is largely complete, but as Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe notes, “It seems Cruz needs to reestablish his value” and therefore may be willing to accept a one-year “pillow” contract.
Bringing Cruz back to Texas is a nice thought, but it would require some reshuffling of a lineup that already has three everyday outfielders (Choo, Leonys Martin and Alex Rios) and a designated hitter (Mitch Moreland).
St. Louis Claims Ortega from Texas
Minor-league outfielder Rafael Ortega continued a busy offseason this week when he was acquired by the St. Louis Cardinals on a waiver claim from the Rangers.
Ortega, 22, had spent his entire six-year career within the Rockies organization before getting picked up by Texas in late November.
The Rangers added Ortega to their 40-man roster, but he was ultimately designated for assignment as part of the domino effect from the Shin-Soo Choo signing, allowing St. Louis to grab him on Monday.
Special Assistant Maddux Elected to Hall
It was announced Wednesday that three new players will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, including former Braves hurler Greg Maddux, who is starting his third season with Texas as special assistant to general manager Jon Daniels.
Maddux, the younger brother of pitching coach Mike Maddux, won 355 games and four National League Cy Young awards over his 23-season career, and he will be enshrined in Cooperstown next to longtime teammate Tom Glavine and former MVP Frank Thomas.
“His accomplishments are well-documented, and it’s an honor for us to work with one of the true greats,” Daniels said of Maddux. “He has made an impression on all of us with his passion for and knowledge of the game, his willingness to share it with all, and his ability to keep things loose and have fun.”
Among the many players who fell short of the requisite 75 percent of the vote total needed for election were former Rangers Sammy Sosa (7.2 percent), Rafael Palmeiro (4.4), Eric Gagne (0.4) and Kenny Rogers (0.2).
Nate's Notes 
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