Unexpected outfield star may fall into Detroit Tigers lap at the trade deadline

The Detroit Tigers don't have many needs that urgently need to be addressed at the upcoming trade deadline. That's the beauty of having a deep and young roster. Tweaks can be made, but Detroit has the luxury of sitting back and watching who becomes available, and then utilizing its top-ranked farm system to go after whatever target stands to make the biggest impact.

Therefore, some dream about adding another ace to pair with Tarik Skubal. Others view the hot corner, and, in particular, a reunion with a former Tiger in slugger Eugenio Suarez, as the best route to take.

Another area that could use an upgrade is center field. After poor showings in 2023 and 2024, Parker Meadows has put up a measly .181/.263/.319 line over 21 games since making his season debut after coming off the injured list on June 2.

However, with an underwhelming center field market that features Chicago's Luis Robert Jr., who hasn't been productive in two years, and free-agent-to-be Cedric Mullins at the top, it appeared as if Detroit would be better served using a triumvirate of Meadows, Javy Baez, and Riley Greene to man center.

Surprisingly, a new potential center field target may come into focus as 26-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates star Oneil Cruz was shockingly left off their "untouchables list" ahead of an impending trade deadline fire sale.

Tigers Rumors: Pirates' Oneil Cruz could surprisingly become Detroit target

Now firmly in contender status, Detroit finds itself on the precipice of what could be a dynastic run. The roster already has young cornerstones in place as well as a farm system that can replace the veteran parts as they move on. Adding another young, cost-controlled star would be exactly the type of move that will make both the 2025 club and future iterations that much stronger.

Cruz checks a lot of boxes for the Tigers. The freakish 6-foot-7, 240-pound shortstop-turned-centerfielder would bring speed and tremendous power to Detroit. While he's currently a little rough around the edges, Cruz has all the tools to be a fantastic defensive center fielder as well.

Take a closer look at how these tools play up in game action. Cruz ranks in the 100th percentile in average exit velocity (96.1 MPH) and bat speed (78.5 MPH). He comes in the 99th percentile in hard hit rate (57.0%) and barrel percentage (21.8%). His 13.6% walk rate is in the 91st percentile, and his average sprint speed of 29.2 feet per second ranks in the 92nd percentile.

Power, speed, and on-base skills with a left-handed swing are the stuff that dreams are made of, and to make things even sweeter, Cruz is under team control through the end of the 2028 season.

Despite these loud tools, Cruz is batting just .205/.319/.396 on the year, making him appear to be nothing more than a StatCast warrior. With that said, it's important to remember the context in which he plays.

The Pirates have scored the third-fewest runs in the league with 285 this year. Their .645 team OPS ranks 29th in baseball. In terms of power, the club is dead last with an anemic .109 ISO — 14 points lower than the 29th-ranked White Sox. Only one Pirates' regular has a wRC+ over 100, and that's the 38-year-old Andrew McCutchen.

Going from a lineup where he has virtually no protection, to one in Detroit where he'd be surrounded on all sides by quality hitters that can get on base in front of him and provide the protection necessary behind him to keep pitchers honest, it wouldn't be a shock to see his production rise dramatically.

There are some concerns, though. Despite a chase rate that's roughly average in the 52nd percentile, Cruz's massive 35.3% whiff rate (third percentile) has contributed to him being at the very bottom in strikeout rate at 33.4% (first percentile).

Without a doubt, those numbers would improve if he no longer had to shoulder the entire offensive burden alone, though the swing-and-miss will always be a part of his game. Most importantly, if the Tigers were to pony up the necessary package to acquire Cruz, he'd be arriving in a place where he would be "one of the guys" rather than "the guy," which will make a world of difference.

A player like Cruz won't come cheap, but with his talent, tools, and control, he can join the rest of the Tigers' foundational pieces to elevate the best team in MLB, making him a gamble that's very much worth taking, even at a high prospect cost.