August 26, 2024

Too Tall for Short

The Pirates decided to move Oneil Cruz from shortstop to centerfield:

Cruz is likely to be the designated hitter for the three-game series against the Chicago Cubs that starts Monday night. He will go through pregame workouts during the early part of the week before likely making his center-field debut sometime during a three-game weekend series at Cleveland.

Cruz, 25, became the tallest shortstop in major league history when he made his debut on Oct. 2, 2021.

“It’s something that we’ve been talking about,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of the position change before Monday night’s game. “It’s not something we took lightly. He’s an unbelievable athlete. We feel that [center field] is probably the best position for him and for the Pirates.”

ESPN.com

While the article points to errors, Cruz ranked 19th in UZR per 150 defensive games.

One of the advantages of drafting shortstops is they can be moved to easier defensive positions fairly easily. We’ve seen this kind of move frequently over the years.

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