Pirates Listening to Trade Offers on Oneil Cruz

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have received trade interest on many of their players, including their most effective power hitter in 2025.

Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz has received trade interest from around the MLB.

Hiles also reported that while the Pirates aren't trying to trade Cruz, they have listened to trade offers on their center fielder. He also didn't have any teams connected with trying to trade for Cruz.

Cruz makes $785,000 this season, $25,000 more than the MLB minimum, and is in his final season of pre-arbitration.

He has three more seasons of team control, all arbitration, before hitting free agency in 2029, which makes him a valuable asset for another MLB team looking to get a cheaper outfielder, who may develop into one of the best in the game, due to his physical gifts.

Cruz has slashed .219./319/.419 for an OPS of .738 in 91 games in 2025, with 72 hits in 329 at-bats, 14 doubles, two triples, a team-high 16 home runs, 40 RBIs, 48 walks to 123 strikeouts and an MLB-leading 33 stolen bases on 37 attempts.

He has had some great moments in 2025, like hitting the hardest home run in the Statcast era (since 2015) at 122.9 mph off of Milwaukee Brewers right-handed starting pitcher Logan Henderson, which went 432 feet over the right field wall and into the Allegheny River near PNC Park.

Cruz also made a 105.2 mph throw from center field, with Pirates catcher tagging Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford out at home plate at T-Mobile Park on July 6.

That throw matched the hardest throw ever by a Pirates outfielder ever in the Statcast era and the second hardest from an outfielder, with Aaron Hicks throwing one 105.5 mph for the New York Yankees in 2016.

Cruz starred in the 2025 Home Run Derby at Truist Park on July 14, finishing with 34 home runs, the most for any Pirates participant and the first player in franchise history that made the second round of the competition.

His farthest home run during the competition went 513 feet, which ranked tied for the fourth longest home run in the Home Run Derby since 2016 and tied for the farthest since 2016, excluding Coors Field in Denver, home of the Colorado Rockies in 2021, which gives batters added help due to the high elevation.

Cruz has also had some difficult moments in 2025, including a fielding blunder vs. the Texas Rangers on June 20 at PNC Park, where he missed a ball coming to him and let it go back to the center field wall.

He also jogged out a double play against the Brewers on June 24 at American Family Field, which saw Pirates manager Don Kelly bench him.

The Pirates landed Cruz in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 31, 2017, sending left-handed relief pitcher Tony Watson the other way.

Cruz made his MLB debut late in 2021 and played in 87 games in 2022, where he slashed .233/.294/.450 for an OPS of .744, with 77 hits, 13 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 54 RBIs and 28 walks to 128 strikeouts.

He fractured his left fibula on April 7, 2023, which forced him out the rest of that season after just nine games and eventually returned in 2024.

Cruz played 146 games in 2024, slashing .259/.324/.449 for an OPS of .773, with 140 hits, 34 doubles, three triples, 21 home runs, 76 RBIs, 51 walks to 181 strikeouts and 22 stolen bases.

The Pirates also moved Cruz from shortstop to center field at the end of August 2024, where he played 23 games.

Other long-term Pirates players that have received trade interest include right-handed pitchers in starter Mitch Keller and right-hander David Bednar and Dennis Santana, plus position players in third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes and outfielder Bryan Reynolds.

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