This week, the Los Angeles Dodgers instructed their followers there would not be any organizational modifications on the way in which after back-to-back NLDS eliminations by the hands of inferior division rivals. Cool. Excited to run it again, we guess?
Friedman did not rule out future modifications, nevertheless, and Dodgers followers caught wind of a possible intriguing improvement on Wednesday, only a day after followers had been disenchanted by the group’s end-of-season press convention.
It seems as if Nelson Cruz is at Dodgers’ minor league camp and serving a some kind of advisor/coach, as he was pictured with prospect Eduardo Quintero carrying a Dodgers sweatshirt. Cruz by no means said an intent to retire after the San Diego Padres launched him, so followers are questioning what is going on on right here.
Maybe he needed to nonetheless be round baseball after no group picked him up following his launch in mid-July. Maybe he is attempting his hand at a unique baseball position to see if it is how he desires to start his post-playing days.
Both method, the most effective energy hitters in fashionable MLB historical past is seemingly concerned with the Dodgers in some capability, which is optimistic irrespective of the way you have a look at it within the short-term or long-term.
Nelson Cruz is at #Dodgers minor league camp, presumably in some kind of advisor/coach position
Right here he’s with prime LA outfield prospect Eduardo Quintero pic.twitter.com/ga9CqKU0gO
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) October 18, 2023
Within the brief time period? He is serving to out the younger up-and-coming expertise within the Dodgers system as he determines his subsequent steps. Long run? He sticks as an advisor/coach and works his method up the ranks, finally succeeding Dave Roberts as head honcho within the MLB dugout.
At this price, after Roberts signed a three-year extension final season, the Dodgers are going to contemplate lengthier exit methods relatively than make an abrupt change when it isn’t completely Roberts’ fault anyway. He is largely working off info and directives from the individuals who employed him. We should say, although, getting into his ninth season on the helm, Roberts most likely is not going to final for much longer if there is not a World Sequence introduced again to LA within the subsequent couple seasons.
As for Cruz, he is served within the menotr/chief within the clubhouse position for fairly a while now. To not point out, as a participant, he has a adorned postseason resume. In 50 video games, he put up a line of .278/.348/.631 with 35 runs scored, 18 homers and 38 RBI. Perhaps a few of that vitality can finally assist the lifeless October Dodgers.
Highest profession Postseason SLG % since 1947:
.635 – Bryce Harper
.631 – Nelson Cruz
.627 – George Brett
.609 – Carlos Beltran
.572 – Albert Pujols pic.twitter.com/O2NfBt2WGA— MLB Now (@MLBNow) October 12, 2023
However possibly that is only a preview of his teaching profession as he finishes enterprise on the sector. Cruz is simply 46 homers shy of 500, which might realistically be achieved in two seasons of constant taking part in time at DH if the 43-year-old’s physique is holding up.
We’ll know within the coming months, however a silver lining right here for Dodgers followers is that they could be attempting to construct a training pipeline with the required traits to assist overcome their postseason failures.
