PITTSBURGH — Right here’s how Oneil Cruz feels in his personal phrases, as interpreted by Stephen Morales at this 12 months’s PiratesFest: “All good. 100% now. Every little thing’s prefer it’s imagined to be.”
After fracturing his left fibula in a collision at dwelling plate when he awkwardly slid into White Sox catcher Seby Zavala, the ultimate factor Cruz wanted to do to show his readiness to himself was slide into bases. However as a part of his development on the Pirates’ academy within the Dominican Republic, Cruz slid whereas getting sport motion.
Morales was there to witness it.
“That was my fear, too,” Morales mentioned of Cruz sliding, “however he went proper by means of it. It was like using a motorbike.”
This is some extra information and notes from PiratesFest:
• Fourteen Pirates gamers made their MLB debuts in 2023, together with Jared Triolo, who grew to become top-of-the-line breakout tales of the season as he juggled work at a number of infield positions. He nonetheless carries 4 gloves in his automotive to follow this offseason and is prepared for something.
When requested if anybody had a big effect on him as a rookie, Triolo gave a reputation that most likely would have been my tenth or fifteenth guess: reliever Ryan Borucki.
“Type of an out-of-the-ordinary one right here was Borucki,” Triolo mentioned. “I really feel like me and him bought alongside within the clubhouse, simply seeing him in Triple-A. I do not assume I used to be taking part in when he was taking part in, however simply watching him, being round him, he taken care of me just a little bit there. After which after we got here up right here, he was a great man.”
• Second base figures to be one of many deepest competitions at Spring Coaching. I can rely a minimum of 5 guys who’ve a shot on the place subsequent season, however perhaps I ought to add a stunning sixth: Connor Joe.
OK, perhaps it’s not as lifelike, however Joe has been working to make himself as versatile as attainable so he will get as many alternatives as attainable, and that features taking grounders at second. It might be an attention-grabbing search for a participant who has cut up time between the outfield corners and elevated his workload at first over the previous three seasons.
“I’ve expressed that I am keen to maneuver there, and I have been working there within the offseason,” Joe mentioned. “However I have been working in every single place within the offseason. I believe it is good and helpful to get completely different angles at completely different spots.”
