Analysis: Pirates pass on star power to prioritize development of 'unicorn' prospect Oneil Cruz

That Oneil Cruz won’t be on the Opening Day roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates might have stunned a frustrated fanbase but shouldn’t come as a shock, given their history of treating prized prospects with kid gloves.

When the Pirates optioned the 6-foot-7 shortstop, ranked their No. 1 prospect by Baseball America, to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, it was simply business as usual for a team that has delayed debuts for the past decade-plus.

The 23-year-old Cruz showed something the Pirates so desperately need, providing the potential for a sense of star power. He hit laser-beam line drives and moonshots for home runs, then flashed a megawatt smile to match. What Cruz didn’t deliver was any type of consistency in the field to earn a starting role.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who called the move a “development decision,” told the Tribune-Review on Sunday that what to do with Cruz was the topic of daily discussions during spring training.

“We have to play what’s best for Oneil, and we have to play what’s best for the Pirates,” Shelton said. “Oneil has come up and had a good spring. Where we have to be cautious is that he’s played (63) games at Double-A and six at Triple-A. We have to be very mindful of how his development is going to be moving forward, how it’s going to fit in with the Pirates not only this year but moving forward. First and foremost, we’ve got to put Oneil in the best position to succeed.”

Where service-time manipulation was a focal point of collective bargaining agreement negotiations during the lockout, the Pirates had to consider the new CBA’s Prospect Promotion Incentive. It’s designed to reward teams if a top prospect makes the Opening Day roster, receives a full year of service time that season and finishes in the top three in rookie of the year, Cy Young or MVP voting in his first three seasons. Eligible teams are awarded a selection following the first round of the MLB Draft.

Cruz would have been a draw to PNC Park for the home opener against the Chicago Cubs on April 12, but two factors hurt his chances of making the Opening Day roster: Cruz stating his preference to stay at shortstop and his inexperience in the outfield, especially with an open competition for a starting job in the corners.

The Pirates are emphasizing defense and have a Gold Glove finalist at shortstop in Kevin Newman. Despite Cruz’s athleticism, arm strength and range, there are still questions about whether a player his height is best suited for shortstop or another position. Cruz didn’t help his cause by committing an error there against Tampa Bay.

The Pirates tried transitioning Cruz to the outfield last week, but he’s still very raw, so breaking him in at a new position isn’t something they want to do at the major league level. Indianapolis already has a crowded outfield, however, with Jared Oliva, Canaan Smith-Njigba, Jack Suwinski and Travis Swaggerty also on the 40-man roster.

"He's a unicorn." ????

Oneil Cruz:
6-foot-7, 220 lbs, and already crushing it this spring. @Pirates | #Pirates pic.twitter.com/kQBtG9LDTQ

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) March 25, 2022

On Friday, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington called Cruz “a unicorn” on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM.

“We think he can play short. I know he believes he can play short, which he can, and I really think the player’s opinion matters,” Cherington said. “He’s a unique player. He does unusual things on the field. Our job is to help him grow into the most impactful player that he possibly can be so that he can help the Pirates win. There’s a lot of different paths that he can take.”

Cruz has little to prove at the plate in the minors. He missed a month last season with a right forearm strain yet still slashed .292/.346/.536 with 15 doubles, 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in 63 games at Double-A Altoona. That earned him a late-September promotion to Indianapolis, where he hit .524 (11 for 21) with five homers in six games to earn a call-up for the Pirates’ final two games as a reward.

Oneil Cruz’ single in the fifth inning had an exit velocity of 113.4 miles per hour (the hardest hit ball in play by a Grapefruit League player this spring)pic.twitter.com/3MlRmEmKXi

— Dan Zangrilli (@DanZangrilli) March 23, 2022

Cruz proved he could hit major league pitching this spring, batting .333 (5 for 15) with a 1.066 OPS in five Grapefruit League games. He homered twice, driving in three runs and scoring four while striking out three times and drawing no walks. Cruz drilled a single against the Tigers that was recorded at 113.4 mph last week. He also went 0 for 4 against the New York Yankees on Sunday, showing he has room to improve on breaking pitches in strikeouts against Gerrit Cole and Barrett Loseke.

“I feel like I’ve demonstrated a lot,” Cruz said last week, “but I guess I’ve just got to continue demonstrating.”

The Pirates have a history of delaying the debuts of their premier prospects. Andrew McCutchen made his major league debut June 4, 2009, Starling Marte on July 26 the following year, Gerrit Cole on June 11 the year after that and Gregory Polanco on June 10 the year after that. In 2016, the Pirates promoted Jameson Taillon on June 8, Tyler Glasnow on July 7 and Josh Bell the following day. Mitch Keller debuted on Memorial Day 2019 but returned to the minors until June 12.

That philosophy hasn’t changed under Cherington, who replaced Neal Huntington as GM in November 2019. In a two-game glimpse, Cruz recorded the hardest-hit ball by a Pirate in the Statcast era on a single with a 118.2 mph exit velocity for his first MLB hit; the next day, he hit a 408-foot homer to right field in the finale.

Getting a taste of the majors only made the 23-year-old Cruz want more.

“That’s the goal, that’s the mindset — not only to reach the big leagues, but stay in the big leagues,” Cruz said March 20. “So my mind set right now is working double time.”

HOW DID ONEIL CRUZ DO THAT?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/U0fA6h1ws6

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 19, 2022

Just as Cruz had crushed an ankles-high pitch for his first major league homer, he pulled off the feat again for a 413-foot homer against the Detroit Tigers in his first Grapefruit League game this spring. The golf swing was a feat of size, bat speed and strength, one that had his teammates laughing at its absurdity.

“I thought that ball was about to bounce, and he clipped it,” Pirates outfielder Ben Gamel said. “He’s pretty talented, man. He’s 6-7, 6-8 and he looks like a big leaguer.”

Cruz looks like a big leaguer, but the Pirates will make him wait, sending the signal that they will decide when their top prospect is ready not only to reach the big leagues but to stay.