PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz has always been considered a unicorn at shortstop because of his big frame. Now that unicorn is moving from the infield.
Manager Derek Shelton and general manager Ben Cherington announced before the game Monday that the Pirates would move Cruz to center field in a move that appears to be pretty solidified not only for the remainder of 2024, but for future seasons as well.
“I think right now we view him as a center fielder,” Shelton said.
“We really think it’s a huge opportunity for him and for our team,” Cherington said. “That’s our mindset. We think that’s going to be his mindset at that point.”
The move comes as the Pirates activated Nick Gonzales from the injured list on Monday. Isiah Kiner-Falefa had been the primary second baseman since being acquired at the trade deadline, but with Gonzales back, he will move to shortstop. Cruz was in the Pirates’ lineup as the designated hitter in Monday’s game against the Cubs.
Cruz committed 24 errors at shortstop – 12 fielding and 12 throwing – which is the second most in baseball, while being worth -3 Outs Above Average.
The effort was certainly there for Cruz, who was regularly getting more on-field practice and working toward returning as a shortstop after fracturing his left ankle in April 2023. The Pirates wanted him to have that opportunity, but after nearly five months of the regular season, they felt it was time to make a change.
“We want to give him a chance to capture as much potential as possible and we, as a team, want to capture as much potential as possible by keeping him at a premium position as long as possible,” Cherington said. “Shortstop was the starting point for this. We felt at the beginning of the year (that we wanted to) see if he could do it. If he can be an average defender at shortstop or even better than that, there’s a lot of potential for that.”
“We just think we have enough information now to believe there’s a better chance of that happening in center field.”
Cruz will be the team’s designated hitter over the next few days to do defensive work with first base and outfield coach Tarrik Brock. Cruz played one inning in left field in the major leagues in 2022 and 80 innings in 10 games with Triple-A Indianapolis that season. His only action in center came in two games during spring training in 2021, and he hasn’t appeared in the outfield in a professional game since 2022.
“It’s something that’s not completely foreign to him, but we want to make sure we put him in the best position possible,” Shelton said.
The Pirates informed Cruz of their decision on Sunday and Cherington admitted Cruz was disappointed but professional. There’s no need to worry that he won’t be motivated to continue playing after the move.
“It takes time to process everything,” Cherington said. “We had this conversation yesterday, so I don’t think that time has passed. It’s literally been less than 24 hours since the conversation, so I’m sure he’s still processing it. Long term, no, I’m not concerned about it at all.”
“I think he’ll see this as a really good challenge and opportunity for him. And, just as importantly, an opportunity for the team. He has an opportunity to really help the team. I really think that’s how he’ll look at it.”
Cruz certainly wouldn’t be the first player to move from shortstop to center field. Jackson Merrill became a National League Rookie of the Year candidate for the Padres this season after making the position switch, and Michael A. Taylor made a similar switch while a prospect with the Nationals.
Cruz’s speed and arm strength could make him a good fit as an outfield defender, but it still represents a significant change in this season’s calculus.
“We didn’t make this decision lightly,” Shelton said. “It wasn’t something we decided on one night. We talked about it, but we felt that right now, center field was the best position for him.”
