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 thing’s prefer it’s presupposed 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 stated of Cruz sliding, “however he went proper via it. It was like driving 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 probably the greatest breakout tales of the season as he juggled work at a number of infield positions. He nonetheless carries 4 gloves in his automobile 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 in all probability would have been my tenth or fifteenth guess: reliever Ryan Borucki.
“Form of an out-of-the-ordinary one right here was Borucki,” Triolo stated. “I really feel like me and him acquired 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 once we got here up right here, he was man.”
• Second base figures to be one of many deepest competitions at Spring Coaching. I can depend at the very least 5 guys who’ve a shot on the place subsequent season, however possibly I ought to add a shocking sixth: Connor Joe.
OK, possibly it’s not as life like, however Joe has been working to make himself as versatile as potential so he will get as many alternatives as potential, and that features taking grounders at second. It might be an fascinating search for a participant who has break up time between the outfield corners and elevated his workload at first over the previous three seasons.
“I’ve expressed that I am prepared to maneuver there, and I have been working there within the offseason,” Joe stated. “However I have been working all over the place within the offseason. I feel it is good and useful to get completely different angles at completely different spots.”
