On heels of Oneil Cruz promotion, Ben Cherington outlines Pirates’...

Oneil Cruz is a Pirate now, called up for his reintroduction to Major League Baseball on Monday against the Chicago Cubs.

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It’s possible to view it as a move long overdue. Cruz has been hitting well for the past couple of months now

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At his peak powers, the 6-foot-7, 23-year-old shortstop possesses tools beyond those of any other player on the team.

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If Cruz realizes his potential for the rest of the season.

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It will be easy to wonder how much he could have helped them win a few more games over the first couple of months too.

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That’s especially true given the Pirates’ recent form.

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They lost 11 of the 13 games that immediately preceded Cruz’s call-up.

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If the lofty expectations placed on Cruz turn out to be well-founded, then it stands to reason that he might have been able to help before June 20, too.

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But the Pirates contested all along that there was a need for Cruz to continue his development with Class AAA Indianapolis.

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Even if Cruz’s tools made it tantalizing to give him a shot in the majors before Monday.

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the team exercised what they consider to be a disciplined approach, taking time to be sure Cruz was 100% ready for the majors before ultimately pulling the trigger.

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