Cherington: Cruz ‘really, really close’ to big leagues taken at PNC Park (Pirates)

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

Oneil Cruz hits a pitch with the Indianapolis Indians.

Pirates fans have been clamoring for Oneil Cruz's call-up, and the endeavor has only intensified day after day.

Now, we have the first real clue that Cruz's trip to Pittsburgh is rapidly approaching.

"We think Oneil's really, really close," Ben Cherington said on his 93.7 The Fan radio show. "We'll see what happens here in the next few days."

Host Greg Brown pressed Cherington if Cruz -- the Pirates' No. 1 prospect on Baseball America -- will make his first appearance during this homestand, and Cherington obliged as any executive would without actually saying it forthright.

"There's a chance, sure," Cherington said. "We'll see what happens."

In case you have a difficult time deciphering the language spoken by baseball executives, the lack of any denial is all you need to know. In addition, Cruz was out of the lineup with Class AAA Indianapolis on Sunday, though Cherington played that off, saying, "guys get days off from time to time."

Add in the fact that Peguero was out of the lineup in Pittsburgh on Sunday, put it all together and it's all but expected that Cruz is coming.

After starting the season with a .159 average and 46 wRC+ in 21 games, Cruz has bounced back in a major way. In the 33 games since, Cruz has batted .281, hit eight home runs, driven in 27 runs and posted a 141 wRC+. It's probably not a coincidence that Cruz's potential call-up this week prevents him from reaching Super 2 status. Nevertheless, Cherington is believes Cruz has checked off enough boxes on his developmental plan that started in spring training.

"To his credit, he's really done a nice job on both sides of the ball, offense and defense," Cherington said. "He's working his tail off. He's certainly trending in the right direction. I think this is a case where development is going to continue. No matter what level you're at, including the major leagues, we've got young players here who continue to improve every day. A player doesn't have to be finished or perfect by any means to get called up."

Some may wonder why Liover Peguero earned the call up on Friday over Cruz. Cherington maintained the same sentiment Derek Shelton laid out on Friday: The Pirates needed a 26th man. The Pirates learned that Tucupita Marcano was heading to the COVID injured list about five hours prior to Friday's first pitch, and Cruz was with Class AAA Indianapolis in Gwinnett. Class AA Altoona is two hours away and Peguero is on the 40-man roster.

Regarding Peguero, Cherington said, "This is his year to play in Double-A." Connecting the dots, that all but says Peguero first major-league stint will be short lived.

While Cruz has played the outfield with Indianapolis this season, Cherington said the 6-foot-7 shortstop will play his natural position "more often than not."

"We believe he's a shortstop," Cherington said. "We've added outfield to give him another arrow in his quiver."

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