FORT WORTH, Texas – While members of the Texas Rangers spent Wednesday visiting a children's hospital in Dallas, free agent Nelson Cruz continued to play the waiting game.
Cruz, who signed autographs at a cell-phone store in Fort Worth Wednesday night, is still unsigned with spring training less than two months away.
The uncertainly has been difficult for Cruz to endure.
"My agent (Adam Katz) is doing a great job of keeping me calm," Cruz said. "It's been tough but I understand it's part of the process. Hopefully we'll work something out."
Who Cruz works something out with remains to be seen. He said he'd still like to return to the Rangers but that might not be a good fit even though both sides continue to talk. Earlier Wednesday Texas general manager Jon Daniels said that it's unlikely for the Rangers to be in play on free agents at the top of the market.
Cruz certainly fits that bill. The club extended him a qualifying offer, which may be one of the reasons he's still available because teams are wary of parting with the draft pick required should they sign Cruz away from Texas.
But Daniels said the Rangers aren't closing any doors with Cruz. Cruz is not closing anything either on the organization that helped him become a two-time All-Star.
"I don't know," Cruz said of coming back to Texas. "We've talked. They say they want me, but it's a business."
As the top power hitter still available on the market, several teams have expressed interest in Cruz. While Texas has been good for him, he knows he could be elsewhere in 2014.
"It's something that's a fit for me and my family," he said.
