Position: LHP
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 210 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/L
Born: 01/26/1999
Country: Mexico
Signed: International Free Agent, 2017 (Padres)
How Acquired: Trade (from Padres in three-way trade that included Joe Musgrove)
Bonus: N/A
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Yes
Minor League Free Agency: 2024
Options Left: 3
Overview
Cruz is a lefty who throws in the low-90s. His secondary pitches draw differing evaluations: his curve is either a plus pitch (Baseball America) or not useful at all (FanGraphs), and his change is either a plus pitch (FG) or one that might become average (BA). He’s recorded very high K rates at times, mainly because of good command, and maybe also because of a very fidgety motion. So far, he’s been more effective against right-handed than left-handed hitters. Control has increasingly been a problem. San Diego employed Cruz as a starter. The Padres traded him to the Pirates in the Joe Musgrove trade.
2018-20
Cruz moved up through rookie and short season ball in his first two years, and spent a couple months in 2019 in low A. He was consistently hard to hit and put up very high K rates. He didn’t pitch in 2020 and, after the season, the Padres traded him to the Pirates in the Joe Musgrove trade, which also included David Bednar and Endy Rodriguez.
2021
The Pirates sent Cruz to Greensboro to start the 2021 season. He had some quirky starts there. In his first one, he allowed one hit but four runs. In his second, he threw four hitless innings with ten strikeouts. Overall he pitched very well for the Grasshoppers despite a lot of walks, as opponents batted just .168 against him thanks to a .220 BABIP. He also had a high K rate. The Pirates moved him up to Altoona, where he made 14 starts. Other than struggling some in July, he got good results for the Curve, too. In Altoona, he walked and struck out a lot fewer, while opponents batted .260 against him.
2022-23
The Pirates sent Cruz back to Altoona in 2022 and he had a rough season. It started well enough. The Pirates tried him in the bullpen and, over his first four outings, he had a 1.46 ERA, with 20 strikeouts in 12.1 IP. Naturally, the Pirates moved him back to the rotation and, in his first five starts, he had an ERA of 8.66. Cruz pitched strictly in relief the rest of the way, although he missed July and August with an unknown injury. He returned for six outings starting in late August. He finished with a 5.03 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, although he still had a 9.9 K/9.
Cruz opened 2023 on the development list, then went to Altoona near the end of May. He didn’t have a great season, the main issue being 5.6 walks per nine innings. He was good other than that, with opponents managing just a .668 OPS against him.
Stats
TRANSACTIONS
July 3, 2017: Signed by the San Diego Padres as an international free agent.
January 18, 2021: Traded by the San Diego Padres with Hudson Head, Drake Fellows and David Bednar to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Joe Musgrove in a three-team deal; Endy Rodriguez sent from the New York Mets to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Joey Lucchesi sent from the San Diego Padres to the New York Mets.