That’s What Pirates Had in Mind for Bryan De La Cruz

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Bryan De La Cruz from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline with two things in mind.

No. 1, the Pirates had their eyes on the postseason. On the day of the deadline, the Pirates were a mere two games out of a wild card spot, squarely in the mix of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2015. And De La Cruz was supposed to play a big role in that.

However, both plans were quickly derailed. Following the deadline, the Pirates had dropped 15 of their next 19 games, including a derailing 10-game losing streak from Aug. 4-14.

De La Cruz, meanwhile, entered Thursday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds with a .203/.227/.203 batting line and no extra-base hits through his first 16 games with his new team.

The Pirates’ outfielder admitted the expectations after the trade got to his head.

“Yeah, I tried to do too much because when you get traded and you hit 18 home runs (with the Marlins), that’s a little bit of pressure because they traded for a guy that they know that can hit home runs,” he said through coach and interpreter Stephen Morales. “I was trying a little bit too hard at the beginning.”

De La Cruz’s struggles to begin his tenure with the Pirates have slowly given way to increased production, and he came through in a big way in their 7-0 win over Cincinnati on Thursday.

In his second at-bat, De La Cruz ripped a ground-rule double down the right field line for his first extra-base hit with the Pirates. Perhaps feeling a sense of relief, De La Cruz stepped up to the plate the following inning in a big opportunity.

The Pirates had built a two-run lead off of starter Nick Lodolo and loaded the bases with two outs in the inning. Reds manager David Bell opted for a pitching change, bringing in right-hander Jakob Junis to face De La Cruz. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, De La Cruz ripped a 2-2 slider down in the zone into right field for a bases-clearing double.

“My mindset was just self-talked that I was the best in that situation and try to do the best for my team,” he said on what he was thinking walking up to the plate. “That’s what I did, just brought those three runs in.”

Manager Derek Shelton was particularly pleased with the swing path and of course, the results — two hard-hit balls the other way.

“When you see guys kind of over-rotate and come off, whether it’s ground balls to the pull side or weak fly balls that way, then you know you’re working off the ball,” he explained. “Today he drove both of those balls and the first ball he drove, that ball stayed true, so that shows you’re staying on the ball.”

It took longer than he would have liked, but De La Cruz can add a pair of doubles to his leger after a lengthy drought of no extra-base hits. Despite the lack of power, De La Cruz has quietly been performing a lot better of late.

After finishing 3 for 4 in the win on Thursday, he’s batting .353 (12 for 34) over his last nine games dating back to Aug. 12.

De La Cruz admitted after the game that he feels like he’s in a better spot at the plate recently. He credits what he does behind-the-scenes as to why.

“My work. My efforts, my effort all the time. Like in the cage, being consistently really good.”

After a disheartening start to his career in Pittsburgh, the Pirates have to be encouraged with what he’s shown of late.

If his performance continues, De La Cruz figures to play a prominent role for the Pirates not only this year, but several seasons down the road.

Part of the reason De La Cruz was attractive as a deadline acquisition was his contractual control. He will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and won’t hit free agency until following the 2027 season.

If Thursday’s performance is a sign of what’s to come, the deal will look like a bargain, but that conversation still has a long way to go.

While the Pirates’ playoff chances are virtually zero, De La Cruz will need to continue to produce during the season’s final stretch to help paint a more promising picture heading into 2025.