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Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced to reporters today that shortstop will be moved to center field. As to whether this is a permanent move or just an experiment, Shelton said I think right now, were looking at him as a center fielder per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . will be the clubs primary shortstop for the rest of the year, per Hiles . Cruz, now 25, has long been an exciting player due to his obvious natural abilities. His page features plenty of red, as he frequently features as one of the best players in the league in terms of things like exit velocity, sprint speed and arm strength. However, there have always been questions about concerning elements in his game. One of those is his that his tremendous ability to crush the baseball also comes with huge amounts of strikeouts. And the other big question has been about whether his height would prevent him from sticking at shortstop. Cruz is listed at 67 and theres never really been a player of that size at that position for an extended period of time. The Bucs have given it a try but the results havent been amazing. Cruz has over 1700 major league innings at shortstop now but with -8 Defensive Runs Saved and -13 Outs Above Average. It seems the club has decided now is time to try a change. The Bucs hovered around contention for much of the summer but Jaren Jackson Jr. Jersey they have fallen back lately. As of right now, they are eight games back of a playoff spot in the National League and would need to pa s six other clubs in order to get in. The at FanGraphs give them just a 0.4% chance of pulling it off while the at Baseball Prospectus are even le s optimistic at 0.1%. With the season more or le s on life support, the club is clearly turning its attention to the future. Center fielder has reportedly been as the club hopes for someone to take on whats left of his $4MM salary. If he is claimed, it would save the club some money and open up the position for Cruz. If Taylor isnt claimed, the club will presumably either move him to a bench role or cut him from the roster regardle s. The remaining five weeks of the schedule will give Cruz a chance to get familiar with the position, which he has never played. He has 80 minor league innings in left field and one major league inning in that corner as well, but thats the sum of his outfield experience. Perhaps the natural athletic abilities of Cruz, particularly his speed, can be better deployed in center field. If he seems pa sable out there in center, it will naturally impact the clubs future, this offseason and beyond. He can still be retained for four seasons beyond this one, so he could give the club an anchor in center if he takes to it. was once the clubs center fielder but he has mostly been in the corners for the past two years. got a shot up the middle after a strong 2023 season but he crashed back to earth this year. The Bucs acquired from the Marlins at the deadline to try to solidify right field. He has three seasons of club control beyond this one while Reynolds is under contract through 2030 with a club option for 2031. The club also has guys like , , , and Suwinski on the roster to potentially help out in the future as well. Kiner-Falefa is a competent defender at multiple positions, including shortstop, and is under contract for another season beyond this one. The club will need a long-term solution there but he can cover the spot in the short term. , one of the clubs best prospects, is a middle infielder but hasnt yet reached Double-A and will need some more time to climb the ladder. If the club feels good about Kiner-Falefa at shortstop and Cruz in center, then their offseason can be spent focusing on other aspects of the roster, such as second base, first base or the bullpen. For Cruz personally, he has been a strong offensive performer despite his strikeouts. He has hit .252/.314/.459 so far in his career for a wRC+ of 111 while also stealing 30 bases. That has come with subpar shortstop defense but he could perhaps increase his future earning power if he can become a solid defensive center fielder instead. Jahlil Tripp Jersey
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发表于 2025-11-13 19:05:00