Pirates' plan for Oneil Cruz should not influence Elly De La Cruz's future with Reds

The Pittsburgh Pirates have made an odd, but somewhat necessary decision. Pirates' manager Derek Shelton announced on Monday that Oneil Cruz would be switching positions. The toolsy shortstop will now be moving from shortstop to center field. The Buccos will now turn to veteran infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop.

Most Pirates fans probably agree with the decision. Cruz has been woeful at shortstop this season. Though he possesses a cannon for an arm, the 25-year-old has accounted for 24 errors this season and owns a .939 fielding percentage. Furthermore, according to FanGraphs, Cruz is worth -8 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -3 outs above average (OAA).

This move by the Reds' division rival will no doubt spark debate among those in Cincinnati fanbase who've been advocating for Elly De La Cruz to move to the outfield. Those Reds fans opine about the combination of De La Cruz's arm strength and speed transforming him into an elite-level defender in the outfield. While the idea has (some) merit, the two situations are vastly different and those fans should abandon their argument.

Pirates' plan for Oneil Cruz should not influence Elly De La Cruz's future with Reds

After watching De La Cruz during his rookie season in 2023, there were plenty of questions about whether or not he could handle shortstop over the long haul. Then, the Cincinnati Reds allowed top infield prospect Edwin Arroyo to showcase his talents this past spring as a non-roster invitee and the former Seattle Mariners' farmhand wowed the fanbase with his slick fielding.

But as the 2024 season unfolded, the Reds decided to give De La Cruz every opportunity to prove that he was capable of being a major league shortstop. Arroyo suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, Matt McLain has been out of action since Opening Day, and fellow infielder Noelvi Marte was suspended for the first 80 games of the season, so the job officially belonged to De La Cruz.

There is no denying that De La Cruz has made his fair share of miscues at shortstop this season. While Cruz's 24 errors are a lot, De La Cruz leads Major League Baseball with 26 blunders. But when you dive into the advanced metrics, you'll see that De La Cruz is worth -6 DRS, but 11 OAA. That matters.

Elly De La Cruz has endured some struggles defensively, but the Reds shouldn't move him to the outfield

According to Baseball Savant, De La Cruz ranks among the top 15 in OAA and is fifth-best among shortstops. De La Cruz has effectively prevented nine runs this season. The closest Reds player in either category is Stuart Fairchild with 4 OAA and 4 runs prevented.

Anyone who's watched the Reds play this year has screamed at their television when De La Cruz botched a routine play to shortstop, but has also marveled when he made an outstanding grab or throw that only he can.

Given that De La Cruz is still just 22 years old and in his first full season in the big leagues, maybe those fans advocating for the budding-superstar to be moved off shortstop should table their argument for at least another year.

For those who are unaware, Hall of Famer Barry Larkin led MLB in errors among shortstops (29) in 1988. So there's still plenty of reason to believe that De La Cruz can turn things around.

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