Seattle Mariners: Sign or Decline — Nelson Cruz

Nelson Cruz perhaps played his final game in a Seattle Mariner uniform yesterday, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

When Cruz signed his four-year, $57 million contract with Jack Zduriencik’s Mariners, major skepticism flooded the incredible potential he brought to the table. Coming off a season in which he hit 40 home runs for the Orioles, media and fans alike pleaded that his success was due in large part to playing in a small stadium in Baltimore.

Making the move to a pitcher-friendly ballpark in Safeco Field would tame his power; he would never reach 30 home runs, let alone 40. The contract was too long and his age would only permit him a year or two worth of solid production out of…