Oneil Cruz reportedly drawing significant trade interest, but should the Pirates move him?

Cruz is batting .215 with 16 homers and 39 RBIs, but has unlimited potential that he has yet to unlock on a consistent basis.

The trade deadline is only one week away. It feels like trade rumors have run rampant for over a month.

Prepare for more, Pirates fans. This one will seriously grab your attention.

Pittsburgh Pirates reporter Kevin Gorman of the TRIB told me on 93.7 The Fan he’s heard that anyone not named Paul Skenes is on the table at the deadline. That includes Andrew McCutchen.

It also includes Oneil Cruz. There wasn’t much smoke reported by local or national reporters surrounding a potential Cruz trade the past few weeks, just that it’s not entirely off the table. That all changed on Wednesday. The biggest Pirates rumor of the summer has arrived.

According to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates have received “many calls” on Cruz.

“It’s worth noting the Pirates are not actively shopping Cruz but are listening to what other teams are willing to offer,” Hiles said. “There have been no teams connected to Cruz as of the time of this writing.”

Hiles, who has broken a large amount of news through the season, reported the news during Pittsburgh’s 6-1 victory against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park to complete a three-game sweep. Cruz finished 2-3 with one RBI and two steals in the win.

It’s important to note the Pirates aren’t the ones making calls and actively shopping Cruz, but interesting they’re not immediately hanging up the phone.

It doesn’t mean Cruz will be traded, but conversations are being had. If Ben Cherington can find someone to overpay for Cruz’s elite potential, he could make a big move by the deadline.

Hiles also told me on 93.7 The Fan on Monday that he believes Mitch Keller is going to be traded and is “the best starting pitcher on the market.”

Skenes is reportedly the only untouchable on the Pirates roster.

In the midst of Ben Cherington’s six year in charge, the Pirates are 42-61. They were swept by the worst team in the American League (White Sox) before sweeping the best (Tigers). Both at home, both in the same division, both series winners scoring 17 or more runs.

The Pirates are in a similar position as they were when Cherington took over and have failed to be an organization on the rise.

Allowing the guy at the forefront of it to trade your most talented hitter and most talented pitcher, outside of Skenes, isn’t something I would be interested in. I don’t have confidence the GM will get a good enough deal to suffice Cruz’s great talent.

He didn’t maximize value for Starling Marte, Josh Bell, Joe Musgrove, and other impactful players. I don’t want to see him make sudden moves with the desired intent of saving his job.

This could make the Pirates anxious to trade Cruz and Keller and not accept a significant return.

Cruz enters his first year of arbitration in 2026 and has three years of club control remaining. He hit 21 home runs in the first round of the 2025 Home Run Derby, but lost to eventual champion Cal Raleigh in the second round.

The 6-foot-7 shortstop-turned-center-fielder hit a homer 513 feet in Atlanta, farther than anyone not named Aaron Judge in a derby played outside of Colorado.

Cruz is slashing .215/.318/.417 with a .735 OPS in 90 games. He’s on pace to be a 30/30 player and has slugged 16 home runs. Cruz has already surpassed 30 steals (31) and has driven in 39 runs.

Cruz has enormous potential; the Pirates need to continue trying to hone in on it. His defense and strikeouts (123) need improvement, but it’s too early to give up on him, especially when he doesn’t cost anything.

It’s fair to listen to know how other teams value your players, but if I was making the call… no deal. No thanks. *click. And hang up.