Over the past few weeks, Oneil Cruz has hit a rough patch and become one of the coldest hitters in the league. Not long ago, he looked like a potential All-Star, but his current slump has grown so severe that even his effort has come into question. As a result, MLB insiders who once considered Cruz untouchable in trade discussions are now less certain. Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal both reported this week that the only players the Pirates are unwilling to move are Paul Skenes and franchise staple Andrew McCutchen. Heyman noted, “The Pirates are expected to be open-minded on anyone but Skenes and club icon McCutchen.”
While neither insider has explicitly said the Pirates are shopping Cruz, earlier reports from May and early June positioned him and Skenes as the club’s two cornerstone, non-tradeable assets. That narrative appears to have shifted—and his current slump may be the reason.
Cruz’s struggles have been noticeable on both sides of the ball, and they seem to be largely mental. Something similar happened in 2024 when a two-error game against the Astros sparked a streak of poor defense and offensive struggles, coinciding with a 10-game losing streak that derailed the Pirates’ postseason hopes.
Although Pittsburgh is currently out of playoff contention, Cruz’s performance drop is still noteworthy. On June 11, he had a 127 wRC+ at the plate, but by June 27, it had plummeted to 97. His strikeout rate has risen to 33% and his whiff rate to 34.9%. Still, Cruz leads the team in home runs (13), stolen bases (26), and walks (42).
According to insiders, Cruz is no longer seen as off-limits in trade talks. While a deal still seems unlikely—given that he’s one of the few bright spots on an offense ranked 29th in runs—his presence has been crucial. Without him, the Pirates could be on par with teams like the White Sox or Rockies. Unfortunately, a lack of surrounding talent has limited his ability to emerge as a dark-horse MVP candidate.
Cruz has superstar potential and could command a massive return, with three and a half years of team control remaining and a salary under $1 million this season. Despite his recent slump, his value remains high—any acquiring team might have to part with a Top 100 MLB prospect and additional top-10 organizational talent.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan has predicted Cruz could earn over $200 million when he hits free agency—money Pirates owner Bob Nutting is unlikely to spend. That reality may be influencing GM Ben Cherington’s thinking, especially now that Cruz is slumping. With today’s unpredictable trade market—seen in surprising moves like the Rafael Devers deal—anything seems possible.
Cruz falling off the untouchables list is a major surprise, casting uncertainty over the team’s long-term direction. The Pirates are already risking wasting a critical season of Paul Skenes’ development, and moving Cruz could push their competitive timeline back another year or two.
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