Oneil Cruz Finds Elite Fantasy Baseball Offense in this Potential MLB Trade
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The Pittsburgh Pirates are a machine at generating top-level MLB prospects. They are also a machine at giving those players away, Gerrit Cole being the prime example. As the team is rumored to trade Paul Skenes and Bryan Reynolds, we pivot to another name, Oneil Cruz. The hyped star has failed to reach his upside, or at least not yet. The Pirates very well may trade his potential for supplementary items, with the Giants a prime partner.
Fantasy Baseball Impact
Cruz has a tremendous amount of potential, being a 95th-percentile baserunner and a 100th-percentile player in swing speed and velocity. When Cruz squares up, the ball goes to the moon. Unfortunately, he struggles with a bottom-10% average in posting, MLB. If Cruz can be figured out, and with a team like the Giants, which develops well, his dynasty value should be marked as at its floor in that moment. This makes Cruz a prime buy-low candidate.
Whether Cruz is on the Pirates or the Giants will matter little. If he meets his upside, he can bat in the prime of the Giants' lineup, which is not much different, talent-wise, from the Giants' lineup. Cruz is ultimately a buy-low candidate right now, regardless of what team he plays for.
Mock Trade Details
Giants Get:
- OF, Oneil Cruz
Pirates Get:
- OF, Heliot Ramos
- RP, Keaton Winn
- INF (AAA), Tyler Fitzgerald
Why the Giants Accept the Trade
The Giants have the potential to find a star in Cruz for a moderate price tag. Their team is prepared to contend as a top-end offense in 2026. If they can add elite power through Cruz, this lineup may go toe-to-toe with some of the best lineups in the MLB. The team would now command a top-5 of: Luis Arraez, Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, and Oneil Cruz.
A team on a championship run is a team ready to win now and make moves accordingly. The Giants will take their expendable, shorter-term items, parlay them with a moderate prospect, and gain elite power via Cruz.
Why the Pirates Accept the Trade
Cruz is still a volatile MLB player. He has great power, but he lacks consistency, hence his awful average. If the Pirates can get acceptable returns for Cruz, they may sell him, offloading any risk that they may view as beyond the reward. One man's trash is another man's treasure, as the saying goes.
Meanwhile, the Pirates will get a very consistent hitter in Ramos, who averages over 20 home runs per season with an OPS over .750. Ramos would be a classic Moneyball play. The Pirates then also add a reliever to build depth, plus a Triple-A prospect who could have upside near Cruz's, but with less risk and less money being picked up.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.