HEADLINE

Report: Twins will exercise Cruz’s 2020 option

Field Level Media

October 09, 2019 at 6:11 pm.

The Minnesota Twins will pick up designated hitter Nelson Cruz’s $12 million option for next season, MLB Network reported on Wednesday.

Cruz made $14 million in 2019 while batting .311 with 41 homers and 108 RBIs in 120 games in his first season with the club.

The 39-year-old Cruz has hit at least 40 homers in four of the past six seasons. He became just the third different player in franchise history to reach the 40-homer mark, joining Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew (seven times) and Brian Dozier (once).

Cruz, a six-time All-Star, has 401 career homers.

The Twins set a major league record with 307 homers in the regular season in 2019, but were swept in three games by the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series.

Also, Minnesota reportedly is working on a deal to keep chief baseball officer Derek Falvey with the club. The 36-year-old Falvey grew up in Massachusetts and could be a target of the Boston Red Sox, who fired president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski last month.