The All-Star break is in the rearview and it’s time to take a look at Nelson Cruz’s value ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline. The Minnesota Twins look like sellers come July 30 and Cruz is a hot commodity on the trade market.

In case you missed it, Andrelton Simmons was the latest player we talked about in this series.

If the Twins were to trade Cruz, seeing him play for another team will be hard to watch. Since he arrived in 2019, Minnesota has been a better ballclub.

Here’s a look at their previous records:

• 2018: 78-84
• 2019: 101-61
• 2020: 36-24
• 2021: 39-50

This season has been a major disappointment that no one foresaw happening. However, the results this season are not because of Cruz’s performance. For the seventh time in his career, he was nominated to the All-Star Game.

This year, his batting splits are .304/.381/.549. He’s also hit 18 home runs and added 46 RBIs. His OPS is top-10 in the league at a whopping .930 and his wins above replacement are 2.2.

Cruz will be dealt to an American League team because he’s only a designated hitter, which narrows the list down to 14 teams. He’s also 41 years old and a free agent at the end of the season. As valuable as he is and teams are very interested in him; Minnesota at the end of the day will not get much value back.

This the worst part because you’d expect to get a lot back for an All-Star caliber player. Realistically speaking, teams are not trading their top prospects for a player that may retire at the end of the season.

Why would Minnesota want to trade him?

If you’re Minnesota, you’re not making the playoffs and you can get an asset of some sort in return. Cruz is yet to win a ring in his 17-year career and the Twins want to see him fulfill his dreams and win a championship.

The Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays are two teams that have been rumored to have an interest in Cruz.

Another team that makes a lot of sense is the Tampa Bay Rays.

Cruz is a name to follow in the coming weeks, as a few teams are interested in trading for him. He’s a 41-year-old free agent at the end of the season and Minnesota won’t receive any sort of large deal in return.