Jun 17, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (15) runs to first after hitting a single in the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Analyst Proposes Wild Yankees, Pirates Trade

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Wild speculation runs rampant around the MLB trade deadline without fail every year, and the New York Yankees are typically at the center of it.

This year's iteration of the Yankees has quite a few holes, and thus they are expected to be particularly aggressive in filling their needs over the next week.

Center field isn't a spot that New York needs an upgrade at considering it's rostering Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger, but that didn't stop an analyst from proposing an out-of-the-box trade that would land the club an impact player at the position.

As noted by 93.7 The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi, the Pittsburgh-based radio station's MLB pundit Matt Clement tossed out a proposal that would send Oneil Cruz to the Yankees while Jasson Domínguez and Anthony Volpe would head to the Pirates.

Our @937theFan MLB analyst Matt Clement throws out the idea of trading Oneil Cruz to the Yankees for Jason Dominguez and Anthony Volpe. I'd do that.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) July 23, 2025

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Noah Hiles reported that Cruz has drawn interest from around the league, though Pittsburgh isn't actively shopping him and a deal appears unlikely at the moment.

Cruz is slashing a modest .215/.318/.417 across 381 plate appearances this season, though he has mashed 16 home runs and logged a National League-best 31 stolen bases in the process.

The 26-year-old has produced some of the most impressive batted ball data in the sport, evidenced by an average exit velocity (96.3 mph) that ranks in the 100th percentile and a hard-hit rate (57.3 percent) that places in the 99th percentile, according to Baseball Savant.

Cruz is under team control through the 2028 campaign, and while his -7 Defensive Runs Saved in center field this year suggest that he's a poor defender, his underlying offensive metrics indicate that he carries superstar potential.

Volpe and Domínguez have been tabbed as future cornerstones for the Yankees. The main issue, as it pertains to the former, is that he has struggled mightily at the plate since the start of June (.602 OPS) and is tied for the league lead in errors with 13.

Domínguez is putting together a better season than Volpe, as he's posted a 107 wRC+, though he hasn't looked the least bit comfortable out in left field.

Neither the Pirates nor the Yankees would likely consummate this deal, as the former would want more impact pieces while the latter may be hesitant to give up two young position players under control for the foreseeable future and thus create more roster holes.

It's a fun hypothetical, but it's incredibly unlikely to occur nonetheless.

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