Pirates Rumors: Star Hitter Drawing Heavy Interest Ahead Of MLB Trade Deadline

Even after this week’s stunning sweep of the Detroit Tigers, the Pittsburgh Pirates still figure to be sellers at next week’s MLB Trade Deadline. At 42-61, they’re last in the National League Central and tied for the second-most losses in the NL.

Accordingly, several teams are checking in with the Pirates to see which of their players are available. However, one of their best players is reportedly not for sale.

According to Noah Hiles of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh has “received many calls” on its top hitter, Oneil Cruz. However, Hiles notes that the Pirates “are not actively shopping Cruz but are listening to what other teams are willing to offer.” He also adds that “there have been no teams connected to Cruz” as of July 23.

The Post-Gazette recently learned that Oneil Cruz is drawing notable trade interest ahead of next week's deadline. More info here: https://t.co/TJmIZoOsLn

— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) July 23, 2025

Cruz, who recently participated in the Home Run Derby and is only 26, is still under team control for three more years. Pittsburgh likely considers him a building block and a franchise cornerstone along with Paul Skenes and Bryan Reynolds.

Now in his fifth Major League season, Cruz has shown flashes of greatness since debuting with the Pirates in 2021. Blessed with incredible size, speed, power and raw talent, he’s one of the most physically gifted and exciting players in baseball.

Originally a shortstop, Cruz moved to center field full-time this year. The transition may have thrown him off at the plate a bit, as he’s batting .215/.318/.417 with the lowest OPS (.735) and OPS+ (102) of his career.

Cruz has struggled in the field as well, leading all centerfielders in errors with seven.

However, he remains one of the sport’s most dynamic players with his elite batted ball metrics and game-changing speed. He’s smashed 16 home runs and leads the NL with 31 stolen bases (a career high), putting him on track for a second straight 20/20 campaign.

While it makes sense that teams are interested in Cruz, it doesn’t sound like he’s going anywhere anytime soon.

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