(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Pirates received some unfortunate news on Sunday about star shortstop Oneil Cruz.
Cruz injured his left ankle on a play at the plate against the Chicago White Sox and will now be out for an extended period of time.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton revealed that Cruz’s ankle was fractured.
But the Pirates have some places they can look for a temporary solution until Cruz comes back.
On Twitter, an MLB fan had an interesting theory, that the St. Louis Cardinals may have somebody that could be of use to the Pirates while their star shortstop recovers from his ankle injury.
Tough news for Oneil Cruz and the @Pirates, but also an opportunity for the @Cardinals to send SS Paul DeJong, OF Tyler O’Neill, #6 prospect Matthew Liberatore and #8 prospect Michael McGreevy to Pittsburg for Bryan Reynolds and Pirates #8 prospect Luis Ortiz.
— www.DynastyFocus.com (@DynastyRanks) April 9, 2023
This is all merely speculation as of now, but Paul DeJong is a player who appears to be lost in the Cardinals shuffle with Tommy Edman taking over the starting shortstop role and Masyn Winn waiting in the wings.
DeJong could be a good temporary solution for Pittsburgh if they’re looking to add a piece to compensate for the loss of Cruz.
The 30-year-old was once an All-Star with St. Louis in 2019.
He claimed the starting shortstop job from Aledmys Diaz back in 2017, but has obviously seen his playing time decrease due to recent struggles at the plate.
DeJong does play excellent defense, and perhaps a fresh start could help him regain his stroke and return to where he once was.
Pittsburgh is off to a good start this season, having won six of their first nine games.
They’re also just a game behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.
The post The Pirates Could Swing A Specific Big Trade To Replace Oneil Cruz appeared first on The Cold Wire.