Sunglasses or not, Pirates may have an Oneil Cruz problem

Jun 21, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; The logo for Sheetz is now on the uniforms of Pittsburgh Pirates players including shortstop Oneil Cruz seen here against the Tampa Bay Rays at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Oneil Cruz wore sunglasses on Sunday.

And yes, that was a big deal for the Pittsburgh Pirates' centerfielder. 

On Opening Day, Cruz went out to center without shades and misplayed two flyballs in the first inning, a big reason why Paul Skenes didn't even last a full frame in his season debut.

He then got an off day as the Pirates faced a lefty, but Cruz was back in the lineup on Sunday.

Even with the shades on, Cruz found himself in the center of some controversy. The Pirates' broadcast team was not happy with him after what they deemed a low-intensity effort on a flyball his way with less than two outs.

Here's that clip:

Pirates broadcasters share their concern about Oneil Cruz's "lackadaisical" effort on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/nl1FjiRFR5

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Some criticisms can be over the top, but there's certainly reason to wonder whether Cruz belongs in the outfield.

The lanky athlete came up through the minor leagues as a shortstop, but the Pirates moved him full-time to centerfield last year.

Cruz has had his moments, including a massive throwing arm, but there's a lot that hasn't gone his way in his journey to the grass.

And right now, the Pirates are going to have to figure something out sooner rather than later to make sense of what they're meant do with Cruz moving forward.

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