Pirates moving shortstop Cruz to center field

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Monday that shortstop Oneil Cruz is being moved to center field permanently.

"It's something that we've been talking about. It's not something that we took lightly," manager Derek Shelton said, according to KDKA's Bob Pompeani. "He's an unbelievable athlete. We feel it's probably the best position for him and for the Pirates, and (we) wanted to make sure that we got a runway of games going into next year for that to be important. Excited to see him out there."

Cruz's debut in center won't happen immediately. He'll DH during Pittsburgh's series against the Chicago Cubs that starts Monday while doing pregame drills at the position with an eye toward playing center on the weekend in Cleveland, according to John Perrotto of The Associated Press.

Cruz's only professional experience as an outfielder came in 2022 when he made 11 appearances in left field. All but one of those appearances were in Triple-A, and his big-league cameo in left lasted just one inning.

General manager Ben Cherington characterized the 25-year-old as "disappointed" with the news but is accepting the change, according to Pompeani.

"I believe he'll see this as a really good challenge (and) opportunity for him, (and) just as importantly, knowing him, (as) an opportunity for the team," Cherington said, according to Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune. "He's got a chance to really help the team, and I really believe that's how he'll see it."

Although he's a natural shortstop, the 6-foot-7 Cruz has been among the worst defenders at the position this season. He's committed 24 errors in 958 1/3 defensive innings this year while tallying minus-8 defensive runs saved and minus-3 outs above average.

The Pirates are undoubtedly hoping that Cruz's arm and speed - two of his biggest assets as a player - will help turn him into a dynamic center fielder. His arm strength ranks in the 99th percentile of all defenders, and he sits in the 87th percentile of sprint speed, per Baseball Savant.

Cruz will take over center from Michael A. Taylor, who got the majority of reps at the position this year. Taylor, who provided solid defense but slashed just .196/.257/.284 over 100 games this year, was placed on outright waivers over the weekend, according to FanSided's Robert Murray. Pittsburgh has also used Jack Suwinski and Ji Hwan Bae in center field this season.

The Pirates plan to use Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop full time going forward, while Nick Gonzales will man second, Shelton said, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com.

Despite the defensive issues, Cruz has enjoyed a solid comeback season at the plate after missing nearly all of last year due to a fractured ankle. He entered Monday sporting a .265/.324/.468 slash line with 18 homers, 63 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases.