After naming Paul Skenes, Andrew McCutchen as untouchables, MLB insider shares insights on Oneil Cruz's standing with Pirates

Having failed to make it to the postseason since 2015, the Pittsburgh Pirates are enduring yet another difficult season. At the moment, the "Bucs" sit at the bottom of the NL Central with a 35-50 record, and it is all but certain that their lengthy playoff drought is set to go on.

Naturally, this makes them obvious sellers at the upcoming trade deadline, and a number of contenders are reportedly looking to bolster their squads by trading for Pirates players over the next month.

Though the NL Central outfit is reportedly open to listening to offers for almost all their players, executives have singled out ace Paul Skenes and veteran hitter Andrew McCutchen as "untouchables."

With those two off the table, another of the Bucs' most influential players, Oneil Cruz, has been generating a lot of interest. Though he has slightly underperformed this year, insider Ken Rosenthal is of the opinion that Cruz was another player Pittsburgh would eventually try to keep.

"I wrote last week that the only untouchables were Paul Skenes and Andrew McCutchen," Rosenthal said on Foul Territory on Monday (Timestamp: 24:29). "So, immediately, a lot of people drew the rightful conclusion that Oneil Cruz is in play. He would be difficult to get, I imagine. His OPS before his two home runs yesterday was .714, now it's up to .740, but it's still down from his .773 OPS last year." "He's entering arbitration this winter, so he has three years of club control remaining, he's going to get more expensive, I get it. But, at the same time, Oneil Cruz is still part of the Pirates' future, I would think, and for that reason, I don't expect him to be traded before the deadline."

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Pirates veteran Andrew McCutchen claims talented Oneil Cruz has 'endless' potential

Though he is not the most consistent performer by any means, most fans and experts alike would probably accept that outfielder Oneil Cruz is extremely gifted.

In March, veteran Andrew McCutchen talked about the Dominican's potential.

"He does things that people go, ‘I’ve never seen that done,'" McCutchen said. "(Cruz) does the same stuff, stuff you’ve never seen. He’s working on an open space. He has no ceiling. He’s building the foundation. Time will come when he knows what that is, and then the ceiling will start. As of right now, endless possibilities for him.”

Pittsburgh Pirates v Cincinnati Reds - Source: Getty

If Cruz does end up staying at PNC Park in the long run, fans will be hoping the towering outfielder can begin to show his undoubted potential on a much more regular basis as he continues to mature as a player.

Edited by Ribin Peter