Oneil Cruz changing positions, moving to center field

PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz was always considered to be a unicorn at shortstop because of his large frame. Now, that unicorn is moving off the infield dirt.

Manager Derek Shelton and general manager Ben Cherington announced pregame Monday that the Pirates will be moving Cruz to center field in a move that appears to be pretty solidified for not just the rest of 2024, but future seasons.

“I think as of right now, we’re looking at him as a center fielder,” Shelton said.

“We really believe this is a huge opportunity for both him and our team, both,” Cherington said. “That’s our mindset. We believe that will be his mindset going into it.”

The move comes as the Pirates activated Nick Gonzales off the injured list Monday. Isiah Kiner-Falefa had been the primary second baseman since being acquired at the Trade Deadline, but with Gonzales back, he will move over to shortstop. Cruz was in the Pirates’ lineup as the designated hitter in Monday’s game against the Cubs.

Cruz has made 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 routinely took extra infield practice and strived to come back as a shortstop after fracturing his left ankle in April 2023. The Pirates wanted him to have the opportunity, but after nearly five months of regular-season play, they felt it was time to make a change.

“We want to give him a chance to capture as much upside as possible and us as a team the chance to capture as much upside as possible by keeping him at a premium position for as long as possible,” Cherington said. “Shortstop was where that started. We felt coming into the year, [we wanted to see] if he can do this. If he can be an average defender at short or even better than that, there is massive upside for that.

“We just feel like now we have enough information to believe there is a better chance to see that happen in center field.”

Cruz will serve as the team’s designated hitter for the next few days to get some defensive work in with first-base and outfield coach Tarrik Brock. Cruz played one inning in left field in the Majors in 2022 and 80 innings over 10 games with Triple-A Indianapolis that season. His only action in center came during two games in Spring Training ‘21, and he has not appeared in the outfield in a professional game since ‘22.

“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 by Cherington’s admission, Cruz was disappointed but professional. There aren’t concerns that he will not be motivated to keep playing after the change.

“There’s a time to process everything,” Cherington said. “We just had this conversation yesterday so I don’t think that time is over. 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 worried about it at all.

“I believe he’ll see this as a really good challenge and opportunity for him. And, just as importantly, an opportunity for the team. He’s got a chance to really help the team. I really believe that’s how he’ll see it.”

Cruz certainly wouldn’t be the first player to make the move from shortstop to center field. Jackson Merrill has emerged as an NL Rookie of the Year contender for the Padres this season after making that positional switch, and Michael A. Taylor made a similar shift while as a prospect with the Nationals.

Cruz’s speed and arm strength could make him a good candidate as a defender in the outfield, but it is still quite a change in the calculus to this season.

“We did not take this decision lightly,” Shelton said. “It wasn’t something that we just decided over the course of a night we’re going to do. We had conversations about it, but we felt that right now center field was the best position for him.”