Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Sunday afternoon that one of the team’s needs for the compressed free-agency period was to sign a veteran bat.
“We’d like to get a veteran hitter that can help us score some runs and hit some home runs,” he said.
Rizzo did just that late Sunday night by signing arguably the most veteran hitter on the market — 41-year-old designated hitter Nelson Cruz. The Nationals and Cruz agreed to a one-year, $15 million deal with a mutual option for 2023, making Washington the first National League team to pounce on a slugger to be its DH amid the new rules bringing the position to the Senior Circuit.