Everything you need to know about Nelson Cruz as the 42-year-old MLB veteran signs with the San Diego Padres

Nelson Cruz has been around for a long time. Now, people are wondering if the 42-year-old veteran has played his last game in the MLB.

It seems that he still has more to offer, as on Wednesday, Cruz signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres. They will be the eighth MLB team that he suits up for in his career.

Nelson Cruz is an absolute machine. Even at 42 years old, he continues to be one of the best in the business. He has shown his ability to get hits wherever he goes. Expect him to be a serious addition to the Padres in 2023.

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Cruz signed with the New York Mets all the way back in 2000 as a 20-year old coming out of the Dominican Summer League.

He spent the first five years of his career bouncing around various minor league teams. It wasn't until 2005 that Cruz made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers. He appeared in eight games, but did not register any home runs or RBIs.

Mid-way through the 2006 season, Cruz was traded to the Texas Rangers, and it was then that his career finally began to take off. He hit his first career home run with the Rangers just three days later on July 31. In August 2006, he hit his first career grand slam.

By 2009, he was gaining notoriety as one of the best hitters in the game. He rocked 33 home runs and 76 RBIs in 2009, gaining the first All-Star appearance of his career. He remained with the Rangers until 2013, and was instrumental in helping the Rangers get to the World Series in both 2010 and 2011, when they lost both times.

"40-year-old Nelson Cruz is tied for the league lead in homers." - @ MLB

In 2013, Cruz was involved in the Biogenesis scandal, wherein he was linked to buying performance enhancing drugs from a Miami clinic. This was the same outfit identified as being responsible for dealing such drugs to Alex Rodriguez. Due to his involvement, Cruz was banned for 50 games.

Nelson Cruz was a success at several MLB teams

At the end of 2013, Cruz rejected a $14 million qualifying offer from the Rangers. Instead, he decided to sign with the Baltimore Orioles under a one-year, $8 million contract. Cruz hit a league-best 40 home runs in 2014 and was selected for his third All-Star appearance.

Following his successful year with the Orioles, Cruz signed with the Seattle Mariners for a four-year deal worth $57 million. His success continued there, as he was an MLB All-Star for each of his four seasons in Seattle (including the 2017 season, when he registered a league-best 119 RBIs).

Following his tenure in Seattle, Nelson Cruz was on the move again. He signed a deal with the Minnesota Twins. He hit 57 home runs and 141 RBIs in his first two seasons with the Twins. With 346 home runs since 2010, he finished registering more home runs than any other player in baseball through the 2010s.

"Padres, DH Nelson Cruz reportedly agree to a 1-year deal, per @MLB.com's Shaun O'Neil" - @ MLB

Midway through the 2021 season, Cruz was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.He appeared in 55 games with the Rays that year and did not register a home run.

On March 13th, 2022, he signed a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals, making him the oldest player in the MLB. In 2022, Nelson Cruz hit 10 home runs and 64 RBIs with the team that year. At the end of the season, Cruz became a free agent once again.

Now with the Padres, it is unclear as to how much he will feature with the team. It will be interesting to see if he can continue to shine at the age of 42.