For much of the offseason, free agent designated hitter Nelson Cruz has worked out three times a day in his hometown of Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic. He hits and lifts and does cardio. One thing he does not do often is check in with his agent, Bryce Dixon.
Cruz knows he is unlikely to sign with a team anytime soon. He is probably the most prominent player held hostage by a twist in MLB’s offseason: No one knows what rosters will look like next year.
As part of a flurry of pandemic-induced changes during the 2020 season, the league and the players association agreed to use the designated hitter in the National League and to expand rosters from 26 to 30 for the first two weeks of the season and 28 thereafter.