Former Big Leaguer 'Hated' Pirates' Decision On Oneil Cruz
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Not everyone was a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates' decision to move Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field.
Long-time big leaguer turned MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds discussed the Pirates' choice and lamented the move, citing the lack of experience Cruz had at the position and how he felt some of his mistakes would have been fixable with more reps.
"I hated it," Reynolds said. "I did a whole thing last year looking at just the plays. Remember, this guy missed the whole year with an injury, and then you come back and he makes plays that he's rushing himself. I think they were correctable, I really do. I thought this was a panic move. I did not like him moving."
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Reynolds played second base in the big leagues from 1983 to 1994 for the Seattle Mariners (1983-1992), Baltimore Orioles (1993) and Los Angeles Angels (1994). He was a three-time Gold Glove winner, two-time All-Star and won the Roberto Clemente Award in 1991.
Cruz played in a combined 96 games between 2022 and 2023 for Pittsburgh, and he missed all but nine games in the latter of those two years due to a fractured left ankle. Cruz appeared in 146 contests last season, but his defense left plenty to be desired. He made 24 errors — 12 throwing and 12 fielding in 112 games at shortstop and posted -9 Defensive Runs Saved according to FanGraphs.
In his 23 games in center field, Cruz made two errors and posted -3 Defensive Runs Saved.
Whether Cruz figures it out remains to be seen. However, the 6-foot-7 center fielder having a full offseason to acclimate to the position could bode well for him and Pittsburgh.
Still, Reynolds feels the Pirates pulled the plug too quickly, and he also noted the attraction Pittsburgh could have had it chose to give Cruz a full season at the position and the offseason to grow and improve in the areas he needed to address.
"He's an attraction," Reynolds said. "You're in Pittsburgh, who are you paying to go watch? I want to watch the [6-foot-7] shortstop, yeah. That's part of the attraction."
