Minnesota Twins Nelson Cruz Back Wearing #23

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — After re-upping with the Minnesota Twins for what will be his 17th major league season, Nelson Cruz clearly was not ready to entertain the idea of a farewell tour. His bat sure hasn’t shown any quit, either.

“To be able to go where we want to go, I have to do my best. I have to be my best. I have to be on top of my game. So retirement is not on my mind,” the 40-year-old said. “My body feels great. My mind is still good, too. So there’s no reason. I still love the game. I don’t know what else to do. I have some plans after retirement, but I’m not ready yet.”

The Twins finalized their $13 million, one-year contract on Wednesday with the designated hitter and most valuable player from the AL Central champion teams of the last two seasons. Uncertainty about whether the DH would be used in the NL this year contributed to the delay in reaching an agreement as his market value was being assessed, but both Cruz and the Twins expressed a mutual desire for him to return all along.

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"Like I said before, in the end, I knew where I wanted to be regardless of my decision," Cruz said. "They all knew I wanted to come back," Do-Hyoung Park writing for MLB.com and covering the Minnesota Twins.

Minnesota Spring Training begins next week in Florida.