Pirates' Oneil Cruz Will Move to Outfield; Isiah Kiner-Falefa to Play Shortstop

Oneil Cruz will be jogging to a different position for the time being.

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced on Monday, via Alex Stumpf of MLB.com, that Cruz would shift from shortstop to center field and Isaiah Kiner-Falefa would take over the shortstop position.

"I think as of right now, we're looking at him as a center fielder," Shelton said, per Schuyler Callihan of Sports Illustrated. "It's something that we've been talking about. It's not something that we took lightly. He's an unbelievable athlete. We feel it's probably the best position for him and for the Pirates. We wanted to make sure we got a runway of games going into next year for that to be important. Excited to see him out there. I mean, this kid's a dynamic athlete and with the way that we're set up now we feel like that's the best thing for him."

Kiner-Falefa was previously at second base, but 2020 first-round pick Nick Gonzales will take over the position after being activated off the injured list.

Cruz has played 202 games at shortstop, 10 at designated hitter and one game in left field during his 215-game career. The stint in left field was just for one inning in 2022, but he also played in the outfield in spring training. He has made 24 errors at shortstop, which is second in MLB, and also has a dismal -9 runs saved in 2024.

The 6-foot-7 Cruz remains impactful at the plate, hitting .265/.324/.468 with 18 home runs and 63 RBIs. He is in the midst of his fourth MLB season, although it has been his first time playing more than 100 games.

Cruz will hope a shift to the outfield can help fix some defensive woes and that he can continue to develop alongside a young Pirates team.