SANTO DOMINGO.- The designated hitter and free agent Nelson Cruz considers the requests of the baseball players association fair and called on young players this Wednesday not to despair due to the lockout imposed by the owners of Major League teams.
The slugger from Las Matas de Santa Cruz, in Montecristi, understands the anxiety it generates for many young players who have not made enough money for their families.
“We trust that both parties will reach an agreement, but at the end of the day, we as an association are united and until we get what we understand we deserve, we are going to fight,” he added.
Cruz stated that just like in 1994, this strike is to improve the lives of each of the members of the players’ association.
“We as an association have saved enough money in the last four years precisely for those young people who have not earned money, we have been providing help monthly and if it does not start in April, the aid will increase,” Cruz told Noticias SIN.
The Major League Baseball Players Association, one of the most powerful unions in the United States, has a special fund for players who are on a roster of 40, which provides each player who needs specific economic items, medical insurance and all the facilities that belonging to this group entails.
“This is not forever, in 1994 there was a strike and as a result, this association today enjoys many benefits,” Cruz pointed out.
Ready to play in two weeks
Cruz stated that he is carrying out a preparation program and can be ready in two weeks.
“During the pandemic we experienced something very similar, at the time we should have been playing we were at home, but what we can control is staying in shape,” says Cruz.
Flirted by National League teams
Cruz also drew the interest of several NL teams, even before Major League Baseball approved the universal designated hitter.
“They contacted my agent and there were even offers, but I understood that it was not the right time to sign for the lockout,” added the designated hitter.
The implementation of the designated hitter for the first time in the history of the national league will automatically open 15 new jobs, especially for players who have seen their defensive conditions limited, but whose bat is still elite. This will lengthen the careers of many players, including Cruz who hit 32 homers and drove in 86 runs with the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Rays in 2021.
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Nelson Cruz: “We are fighting until we get what we deserve”