OnlyBucs

Two thoughts ...



1. This franchise feels hopeless. The complete lack of pitching. The lack of power. The lack of talent. All the resting. The managing. The lineups. The injuries. The slumps. It FEELS like there is no end in sight. I'm certainly not feeling like things are going to be better, as many have planned on, in 2023. Or even 2024. I mean I'm not seeing any signs of a competitive team in the next two years, not to mention a legitimate playoff contender.



2. Secondly, and I need to get this off my chest and I may be in the minority on this one but whatever. Back in spring training, I expressed my sincere concern that the Pirates would completely screw-up and mishandle Oneil Cruz. And I believe that is EXACTLY what we are seeing now.



* By all accounts he is an elite talent

* He is already 23

* He was excellent last year in the minors.

* He EARNED a big-league roster spot this spring.

* He plays a position of need that oh by the way is a COMPLETE VOID for the Pirates at the MLB level.

* Cruz has raw talent ... talent that this franchise desperately lacks.

* Cruz has raw power, something this franchise desperately lacks.



So what do the Pirates do, as only the Pirates can do?



* They not only send him down. They send him down AND switch his position because he's a defensive liability. (God forbid he makes a few errors learning on the job for a team that's 25 games out of first place.) Talk about demoralizing.



* This guy is an elite talent. Why can't the Pirates just do the common sense thing and PUT HIM AT SS AND LEAVE HIM THERE AND GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO SHOW WHAT HE'S GOT?? Let him play and relax and learn and thrive!!!! I'd bet anything he would do well, and he would be learning and gaining experience and improving.



Instead, he's playing LF in Indy. I believe 100% that he's playing so poorly in Indy because he is demoralized and/or ticked off at the Pirates for screwing around with him, when he knows there is literally no one in the organization who has any business being ahead of him or blocking him.



This is EXACTLY what I feared. That the Pirates would completely mis-manage this whole thing and screw this up and really get into his head.



PLEASE PIRATES PUT HIM AT SS IN PITTSBURGH AND GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO PLAY EVERY DAY AND SHOW US WHAT HE CAN DO.



PLEASE STOP SCREWING AROUND WITH THIS KID.



The end.

He was playing SS almost every day thru last Friday. The next 2 games he was in LF. Yesterday he started in LF and ended up at SS. So maybe they haven't moved him totally off SS yet. He's only hitting .186 but he's had at least 1 hit in 7 of his last 10 games. So maybe he's beginning to hit.

He played LF because Newman was on his rehab stint.



Seriously calm down Jodie Foster.

7A584B56555057587B4C5A5A56390 wrote: Two thoughts ...



1. This franchise feels hopeless. The complete lack of pitching. The lack of power. The lack of talent. All the resting. The managing. The lineups. The injuries. The slumps. It FEELS like there is no end in sight. I'm certainly not feeling like things are going to be better, as many have planned on, in 2023. Or even 2024. I mean I'm not seeing any signs of a competitive team in the next two years, not to mention a legitimate playoff contender.



2. Secondly, and I need to get this off my chest and I may be in the minority on this one but whatever. Back in spring training, I expressed my sincere concern that the Pirates would completely screw-up and mishandle Oneil Cruz. And I believe that is EXACTLY what we are seeing now.



* By all accounts he is an elite talent

* He is already 23

* He was excellent last year in the minors.

* He EARNED a big-league roster spot this spring.

* He plays a position of need that oh by the way is a COMPLETE VOID for the Pirates at the MLB level.

* Cruz has raw talent ... talent that this franchise desperately lacks.

* Cruz has raw power, something this franchise desperately lacks.



So what do the Pirates do, as only the Pirates can do?



* They not only send him down. They send him down AND switch his position because he's a defensive liability. (God forbid he makes a few errors learning on the job for a team that's 25 games out of first place.) Talk about demoralizing.



* This guy is an elite talent. Why can't the Pirates just do the common sense thing and PUT HIM AT SS AND LEAVE HIM THERE AND GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO SHOW WHAT HE'S GOT?? Let him play and relax and learn and thrive!!!! I'd bet anything he would do well, and he would be learning and gaining experience and improving.



Instead, he's playing LF in Indy. I believe 100% that he's playing so poorly in Indy because he is demoralized and/or ticked off at the Pirates for screwing around with him, when he knows there is literally no one in the organization who has any business being ahead of him or blocking him.



This is EXACTLY what I feared. That the Pirates would completely mis-manage this whole thing and screw this up and really get into his head.



PLEASE PIRATES PUT HIM AT SS IN PITTSBURGH AND GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO PLAY EVERY DAY AND SHOW US WHAT HE CAN DO.



PLEASE STOP SCREWING AROUND WITH THIS KID.



The end.




I agree

Cruz will disappoint. He has never put a whole season together always some kind of injury and his numbers haven`t been all that. Overrated just wait and see.



Peguero down at AA will be " the guy".

4F6465606065625F786D786563620C0 wrote: Cruz will disappoint. He has never put a whole season together always some kind of injury and his numbers haven`t been all that. Overrated just wait and see.



Peguero down at AA will be " the guy".
Cruz has been mishandled for several years. It hard to keep a positive attitude when you are constantly being told wait your time is coming. Good grief he's 23 years old and is a freak athlete but instead doing what's best to develop this guy Cherington is trying to make sure he has control over him when he does come up. The problem is he may be so beat down he will never recover and become what he should if his development was based on performance.

1239383D3D383F02253025383E3F510 wrote: Cruz will disappoint. He has never put a whole season together always some kind of injury and his numbers haven`t been all that. Overrated just wait and see.



Peguero down at AA will be " the guy".
So bring up Peguero quit playing mind games with these guys.

I been saying this all along with not just Cruz but a lot of these guys that they are gonna screw them up by mismanaging them. If these guys such as not only Cruz but Gonzales, Peguero, and Henry Davis just to name a few are elite level talent then they need to be up here with the Major League club when they are ready learning on the job. I thought Cruz would be up here by now it’s ridiculous that we are almost 40 games into the season and almost 20 days into May and he still isn’t up here yet on this depleted roster playing everyday somewhere. It’s inexcusable and a complete dereliction of duty by the Pirates front office for continuing to do this.

76514044415C63574041415C250 wrote: I been saying this all along with not just Cruz but a lot of these guys that they are gonna screw them up by mismanaging them. If these guys such as not only Cruz but Gonzales, Peguero, and Henry Davis just to name a few are elite level talent then they need to be up here with the Major League club when they are ready learning on the job. I thought Cruz would be up here by now it’s ridiculous that we are almost 40 games into the season and almost 20 days into May and he still isn’t up here yet on this depleted roster playing everyday somewhere. It’s inexcusable and a complete dereliction of duty by the Pirates front office for continuing to do this.


He needs to show he can hit AAA pitching before they bring him up to the majors. He's been heating up lately though so hopefully he'll continue to do that and he'll be up soon.

He should have been moved to the OF when Peguero was obtained in the trade. Now, given that Peguero is a very good SS and hitter, I say put him full-time at 1B. We have a hole there and his ability to play the infield, in addition to his physique and athleticism, would be an asset there.