It seems like the Pittsburgh Pirates are making their intentions clear on Oneil Cruz.
Heading into the offseason, Oneil Cruz seemed to be an obvious trade candidate for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He failed as a shortstop, and he hasn't exactly lit it up in center field, either.
On top of Cruz's defensive shortcomings, he also has severely disappointed at the plate. This past season, the former top prospect slashed .200/.298/.378 with 20 home runs and 61 RBI.
Cruz has all of the physical tools in the world. He stands 6-foot-7, weighs 240 pounds and is blessed with surreal athleticism. He is also a Statcast legend.
Unfortunately, the 27-year-old has been unable to put it all together ever since breaking into the big leagues in 2021, so it appeared that the Pirates were getting close to giving up on him.
However, we have heard absolutely nothing about Pittsburgh trying to trade Cruz this winter. Everything has been completely silent along that front, indicating that the Pirates still believe the Dominican native can be a significant part of their future.
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.In a sense, you can understand why Pittsburgh isn't eager to jettison Cruz. The Buccos finished last in baseball with 117 home runs this past season, and Cruz led the way with 20 of them. Considering how starved the Pirates are for offense, shipping out the lone power hitter currently on their roster probably did not seem ideal for them.
Plus, Pittsburgh is in search of lefty bats as it is, and Cruz is a left-handed hitter himself. So the Pirates probably felt that trading Cruz would not do them a whole lot of good.
It's hard to imagine that there is no market for Cruz given his immense talent. Sure, he owns a meager lifetime .734 OPS, but he has shown flashes in the past, and perhaps a contending team would feel Cruz would perform better in a different environment with more protection.
But the Bucs don't even seem remotely interested in engaging in trade discussions on him.
Cruz is under club control through 2028, so the Pirates certainly do not have to be in any sort of rush. Plus, he is just two seasons removed from posting a .776 OPS, so maybe there is hope for the slugger after all.
While we cannot entirely discount the possibility of a Cruz trade, it doesn't seem like Pittsburgh is eager to send him packing this offseason.