Surgnbuck wrote: ↑Sun Mar 30, 2025 6:19 pm
Doc, my opinion is Cruz should be strictly a DH. I'm willing to bet just about any team in MLB would use him in that capacity. I'd also bet the Pirates could get something decent in return for him, but the problem is, it would probably be more pitching. No team is going to trade offense to get offense, unless it's the years of control. In that instance, the Pirates could get an impact bat that the other team would probably pay for. But it would also have to be someone who is essentially blocking someone, and more than likely they'd probably come with some baggage as well and a free agent at the end of the season. No one is trading a complete, established position player for someone who is still a project and questionable work ethic, despite the potential.
I really think the best case scenario is someone on the team step up, be a leader, and handle this. I also think sending him down to AAA may shake him up, but honestly, I don't think he cares.
With 29 other clubs, I believe there has to be a team willing to both take him and send back a young, offensively-strong player in return. Someone who is blocked by a more established player. That situation has to be out there somewhere.
I could live with Cruz being the Pirates DH, but I think there’ll come a point where he’ll become a more serious issue with his teammates. If they’ve already addressed his lack of hustle, it’s not too far away from being a problem. With a manager who seems too weak to deal with this situation, who knows what this could lead to. To me, it’s better to be rid of him as soon as possible.
This team is useless with the bat. How they even score a run or two is beyond belief. How can a team be this horrible yet so consistent in the things they are horrible at, for going on a decade now?