Pirates Outfielder Named Top Trade Piece

He also hit the hardest home run of the Statcast era (since 2015), at 122.9 mph, which went over the right field wall at PNC Park on May 25, against Milwaukee Brewers right-handed starting pitcher Freddy Peralta.

While he did have those great moments, his 174 strikeouts also ranked as the fourth most in a season in Pirates history and only seven less than his 181 strikeouts in 2024, the second most in franchise history.

Cruz also spent the entirety of the season in center field after moving there from shortstop in the later stages of 2024.

He had some difficult moments, like his fielding blunder vs. the Texas Rangers at PNC Park on June 20, but also an incredible throw home for an out vs. the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 6.

The Pirates front office and coaching staff will work hard this season to fix those problems for Cruz, but other teams will still likely inquire about his services.

Why Teams May Want to Trade for Oneil Cruz

Cruz heads into his first year of arbitration, where he is projected to make around $3.4 million.

The Pirates reportedly fielded trade interest in Cruz closer to the deadline, but eventually had no interest in moving him, outside from a ginormous proposal that would force them to reconsider.

Cruz turns 27 years old and still has a long career ahead of him if he can find consistency and perform better at the plate overall.

Reuter sees Cruz as a player that has the intangibles to excel at the MLB level and that another team could help him develop into the star that some see him as.

"In terms of pure physical tools, few players can match that combination of speed, power and athleticism that Oneil Cruz brings to the table, but it's fair to wonder if his development has plateaued as an incomplete player," Reuter wrote.

"After a 21-homer, 22-steal, 2.5-WAR season in 2024, he took a significant step backward offensively this year, including an uptick in his strikeout rate to an untenable 32.0 percent clip. He was also a defensive liability in center field (-14 DRS, 11 errors) after shifting off shortstop, which leaves his long-term defensive home still up in the air."

"With all of that said, it's not often a 30/30 threat in his prime is available on the trade market, and a new organization might be what it takes to unlock his full potential."