Cruz’s position switch supported by Polanco
Prospect would like to stay at shortstop but open to change
BRADENTON, Fla. — When Oneil Cruz was asked last week who has helped him with his recent foray into the outfield, the Pirates prospect dropped a few familiar names.
One of them, ironically, was the player Cruz could ultimately succeed in right field, if this experiment works.
“I’ve had a few major league outfielders help me out and share their wisdom with me,” Cruz said through team translator Mike Gonzalez. “Some of the primary ones have been [Atlanta’s] Marcell Ozuna, Starling Marte and even our very own, Gregory Polanco. They’ve loved on me very well and have given me some advice and some tips and have really shown me a lot of support.”
On Saturday, Polanco made his feelings on Cruz potentially shifting positions public.
After going 3 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs in a 3-2 victory over the Yankees at LECOM Park, Polanco backed his good friend and countryman maybe moving to the outfield as a way for the Pirates and Cruz to leverage his athleticism and spread prospect talent across multiple positions.
“He’s tall. He has a great arm — a cannon — and he can move,” Polanco said of his fellow Dominican Republic native. “That’s a good transition to center field. I want him in the big leagues. I want him to play, wherever they want him to play, to make him a big leaguer. I’m happy for him.”
Trying the outfield isn’t necessarily a position switch for 6-foot-7 Cruz, whom MLB Pipeline considers the Pirates’ thirdbest prospect. Speaking to the media last week, Cruz was adamant that he’s still a shortstop but also said he was willing to try the outfield because it could hasten his path to the major leagues.
As much as he might want to remain in the infield, some of that might be out of Cruz’s control. The Pirates currently have three players competing for that spot in spring training, and two of them — Kevin Newman and Cole Tucker — have not yet reached arbitration.
Cruz does have a terrific arm and routinely fires strikes to first. But he needs to become a more consistent defender and refine his approach at the plate.
The path to playing time is a little more clear-cut in the outfield. While the Pirates have potentially major league ready options in center with Dustin Fowler and Anthony Alford, they really don’t have a successor to Polanco in right. Jared Oliva is also in the mix, though neither he nor Cruz has reached Class AAA.
The Pirates’ current right fielder, Polanco has enjoyed a strong start this spring, hitting .455 in four games while totaling eight RBIs. The rest of the team combined had nine entering Sunday’s home contest against Baltimore.
But with Polanco set to make $12.5 million in 2022, it remains likely that the Pirates will either hope to trade him by the end of July or buy him out for $3 million after the season, possibly opening the door for Cruz to play in 2022.
If Cruz does get the chance to play in right field, he and Polanco are cut from a similar cloth. They’re both bigger guys, which increases the importance of having fast and accurate breaks on fly balls.
“The first two steps need to be quick,” Polanco said. “We are tall. He’s similar to me. The first two steps are very important for us.”
It says something about Polanco that he’s willing to groom his potential successor in Cruz, who’s 1 for 8 (.125) in six spring games. Although Polanco has had his share of injuries and dips in production, he remains one of the most likable players in the Pirates clubhouse.
And right now, it’s easy celebrate Polanco because of his hot start. He leads the Pirates in most offensive categories during spring training, and he has been able to combine hard contact with hitting the ball fairly consistently.
“Everything I’m doing right now, I don’t want to change it,” Polanco said. “I just have to stay aggressive and on time. That’s the biggest thing right now. When I get in trouble, it’s because I’m late.”
Against the Yankees, Polanco even flashed some speed. After he singled in the third inning, Polanco said he wanted to test his legs by stealing second base, even after the pitcher — Jhoulys Chacin — twice tried to pick Polanco off at first.
“After he went pickoff, pickoff, I’m like, ‘OK, I’m gonna try this. Let me go and see how my legs are.’ ” Polanco explained. “They feel good, but it’s not the same when you’re [stealing bases]. I got there safe. That’s a confidence boost for me right now. I know where I’m at. I just have to get a good jump. I know I’ll be safe.”
It’s certainly early, but Polanco’s confidence is plenty high. He’s also healthy, which has allowed him to focus on baseball and having fun. As a result, his production thus far has been a welcomed departure from what we’ve seen the past couple of seasons.
“It’s really important for me right now because the last two years, it hasn’t been about getting ready for the season,” Polanco said. “It has been about trying to be healthy. This season, I’m healthy. In my mind, that’s out of the way. My mind is focused on baseball.”