Perrotto: What Oneil Cruz-to-Yankees Trade Might Look Like
Two months ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates expressed to the other teams in Major League Baseball that they were willing to listen to trade offers on all their players except Paul Skenes and Oneil Cruz.
That list is down to one. The Pirates still won’t part with Skenes, the prized right-hander, but would consider dealing Cruz.
They also won’t trade designated hitter Andrew McCutchen without his permission.
However, the Pirates aren’t willing to give Cruz away. Baseball sources indicate that general manager Ben Cherington has placed such a high price on Cruz that a trade is unlikely to occur before the MLB trade deadline next Thursday.
So why would the Pirates trade their most talented position player?
For one, the organization needs an influx of talent, especially hitters, and the Pirates could get a good return.
Some in the Pirates’ camp also say that Cruz is still upset about being moved from shortstop to center field late last season and worry he might not reach his full potential in Pittsburgh. They are also beginning to become frustrated with Cruz’s inconsistent effort level, despite being spoken to by the front office and coaching staff about it.
So, where could Cruz wind up being traded? Just about any team could afford him as he doesn’t become eligible for salary arbitration until after this season and can’t become a free agent until 2028.
The teams I keep hearing about as potential suitors for Cruz are the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Guardians, and Milwaukee Brewers. However, I’ve been getting conflicting reports on the strength of each team’s interest.
The team the Pirates would most likely be able to make a deal for Cruz is the Yankees. The Yankees have the type of hitters that interest the Pirates, namely, young players with multiple years of contractual control.
The rumor floating around is that the Yankees would trade shortstop Anthony Volpe and left fielder Jasson Dominguez for Cruz. However, industry sources believe that the Yankees would not make that deal, and it would take more players in a potential trade to get it done.
The Yankees are looking for pitching depth and would be interested in getting right-handed starter Mitch Keller and closer David Bednar, along with Cruz.
The Pirates could get back a package of catcher Austin Wells, first baseman/catcher Ben Rice, and top outfield prospect Spencer Jones. Wells would be under contractual control through 2029 and Rice through 2030, while Jones is playing at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and has yet to make his major league debut.
Wells has struggled this season following a fine rookie year and has a slash line of .216/.272/.432. However, Rice has 14 home runs in 82 games. By comparison, with 16 homers, Cruz is the only Pirates player with more.
Rice is hitting .232/.323/.468 with 15 home runs in 84 games. Like Wells, Rice is 26 years old and a left-handed hitter, making them good fits for PNC Park.
Baseball America ranks Jones, 24, as the Yankees’ third-best prospect, though he has dropped out of the publication’s overall top 100 after starting the season at No. 46. Jones also bats left-handed.
Jones has hit 10 home runs and stolen six bases in 18 games since being promoted to Triple-A to go with a .387/.449/.594 slash line. He batted .274/.389/.594 with 16 homers and 10 steals in 49 games for Double-A Somerset.
The Pirates would be giving up a lot in this potential trade. However, they are last in the major leagues in runs scored and home runs, and could desperately use the help these three young hitters could provide for many years to come.
Cherington would have to consider it.
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