Orioles fans fondly remember the one-year, $8-million dollar deal that Nelson Cruz signed in 2014. Cruz produced well above the value of the contract, and was an integral part of winning the AL East. His league-leading 40 home runs and 108 RBIs had him named an All Star, and he finished seventh in American League MVP voting.
But after all of that production, Cruz’s greatest value to the Orioles may still be in the works. The club made a qualify offer to Cruz after the 2014 season, which Cruz eventually turned down.