'Good in center field now': Pirates' Oneil Cruz embracing challenge of switch from shortstop

When the Pittsburgh Pirates moved Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field, the greatest concern for talent evaluators was not whether he could play the position but rather if he would be willing.

Blessed with size, speed and an elite arm, the 6-foot-7 Cruz has shown in flashes how the move from infield to outfield could be beneficial. He clocked one of the fastest throws by a position player in his debut and showed the range to chase down fly balls in the gaps.

And, after only a dozen games in center, Cruz claimed to have embraced a position switch he was once adamantly against.

“I’m good in center field now,” Cruz said Saturday morning through interpreter Stephen Morales, a Pirates coach. “I’m not coming back to shortstop. I feel like out there I feel comfortable now. I feel like I’ve got more space and more mental peace to focus on my offense.”

Cruz’s play in center in a 5-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Saturday showed why his conversion remains a work in progress, as he misplayed several fly balls. He made a headfirst dive in an attempt to catch an Adam Frazier fly to shallow center, lying facedown on the grass as the ball bounced past him for a leadoff triple in the fifth inning. Then Cruz misread a line drive by Maikel Garcia to the right-center gap for an RBI double that gave the Royals a two-run lead.

Cruz also initially was charged with an error in the seventh inning when he tried to make a shoestring catch on a Bobby Witt Jr. fly ball, only for the ball to pop out of his glove and allow Kyle Isbel to score. It later was changed by the official scorer to an RBI double.

“There’s going to be plays he has to learn how to make, and that’s where we’re at right now,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “And that’s what happens when you take a middle infielder and put him in the outfield in center field.”

Cruz seemed stunned when the Pirates revealed to him Aug. 25 that they had decided on the position switch after he committed 24 errors at shortstop, including a dozen since July 21.

Instead of sulking, Cruz spent two days shadowing 2021 AL Gold Glove winner Michael A. Taylor in center in pregame practice and batting practice, taking tips on how to position himself and make reads off the bat. Taylor even traded one of his outfield gloves adorned with a gold Rawlings patch to Cruz for an infield glove that helped his transition.

Shelton said the Pirates wanted to give the 25-year-old Cruz a chance to adapt to his new position during the season so he could work with Taylor and first base/outfield coach Tarrik Brock before heading home to the Dominican Republic for the winter.

“I think a large part of us making the decision was getting him game reps,” Shelton said. “If we do it in the offseason, all of a sudden are you going to ask him, ‘Hey, do you want to go play winter ball?’ And I don’t know if we wanted him doing that with the situation of us being able to coach it.”

After two days of serving as designated hitter, Cruz made his debut in center Aug. 28 against the Chicago Cubs and made a 103.3 mph one-hop throw to home for a play at the plate. Cruz since has looked comfortable in center — even if his nonchalant body language sometimes tells a different story — and has impressed his teammates by using his long strides to chase down fly balls in the gaps.

Cruz said he had yet to go full speed to chase down balls, which is probably why Taylor predicted that Cruz is “going to do great” in center. Much like Ji Hwan Bae before him, Cruz is using his speed to make up for his inexperience in the outfield.

“He’s got unbelievable speed. He gets good jumps. He’s putting himself in a good position pre-pitch. I’ve seen him doing his work. The instincts are there. He reads the ball well, so I’m not surprised,” Taylor said. “No one is going to be perfect out there, getting the right read and drop-stepping to the right side. It does help being able to adjust. He’s got makeup speed to catch anything out there.”

The Pirates believe Cruz’s arm strength can be a difference-maker once he learns when and where to throw to cut-offs instead of trying to throw runners out at the plate.

“There’s times where you want to go out there and make a difference, maybe make a play but the right play is keeping the guy off second and maybe not making the most aggressive play that you can make,” Taylor said. “He’s got an unbelievable arm. He’s very accurate, so he’s going to have a lot of opportunities to throw guys out. Sometimes, you can want to force that. Learning when to use and when not to will be good.”