Pirates Announce Star Player Position Change In Surprise Move

The Pittsburgh Pirates are changing things up defensively down the stretch.

Pittsburgh is not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and is willing to try some things out. They added Isiah Kiner-Falefa at the trade deadline who has been starting at second base for them ever since and with the return of Nick Gonzales from the injured list, the Pirates have a surplus of middle infielders.

In a surprise move, Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced star Oneil Cruz will be moving to center field for the foreseeable future.

“It’s something that we’ve been talking about. It’s not something that we took lightly,” Shelton said.

“He’s an unbelievable athlete. We feel it’s probably the best position for him and for the Pirates. We wanted to make sure we got a runway of games going into next year for that to be important. Excited to see him out there. I mean, this kid’s a dynamic athlete and with the way that we’re set up now we feel like that’s the best thing for him.”

Cruz is second in committed errors this season with 24 behind Elly De La Cruz. Although he has been trying to improve defensively, the Pirates felt it was time to make a change. Changing positions to center field should be beneficial for Cruz. Cruz has played shortstop almost all his career, playing only one game in the outfield.

Oneil Cruz’s combination of speed and arm strength could make him a valuable addition to the outfield for the Pirates in the future. For now, Pittsburgh is set to play Kiner-Falefa at shortstop and Gonzales at second base.

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