Oneil Cruz Honest With Pirates About Feelings Over Position Switch

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced an unexpected roster decision by moving shortstop Oneil Cruz from the infield to center field, which prompted an open and honest reaction from the 25-year-old.

“I would not be truthful if he didn’t say he was disappointed,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said Tuesday, per MLB Network Radio. “I think anybody that plays shortstop in the big leagues — when they move off it — gets disappointed just like when someone’s a center fielder, and they get moved to one of the corners, they’re disappointed. But we know ultimately Oneil’s a good teammate who’s gonna do what’s best for the Pirates and we think he’s gonna be really good out there. This is a kid, as we all know, is uber-athletic and has the ability to do a lot of things. (I’m) excited to see him roaming in some free space.”

Cruz has logged 202 appearances at shortstop in the last four seasons while making just a single-inning outfield appearance (in left field) since the 6-foot-7 veteran made his big league debut in 2021. However, even though Cruz’s offensive production has been up to par — he’s notched a career-best 18 home runs through 442 at-bats — the defense hasn’t. Cruz has committed a career-high 24 errors at shortstop this season in 396 defensive chances, recording a 93.9 fielding percentage. He’s also made 12 of those errors within the last 28 games played for Pittsburgh, warranting the organization’s decision to retool the lineup.

Although center field is no walk in the park, the Pirates aren’t concerned with Cruz’s ability to swiftly make the switch from the infield’s most demanding position to the leader of the outfield.

“Guys know if you’re gonna play centerfield in the big leagues, you gotta be extremely athletic. You have to have a certain skill set, and it’s something we feel that Oneil has and we’re excited to see him out there,” Shelton explained, per MLB Network Radio. “It’s basically just sitting down with him and explaining to him why we wanna do it, what the thoughts are on it, and now we just gotta get the work in. He’s out there currently taking fly balls in center field, working on it, and it’s a situation where there’s gonna be some bumps in the road, but we think it’s best for him and the organization.”

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