The Detroit Tigers are once again being linked with a dynamic outfielder in the trade market. For as good as the Tigers have been recently, they do still have some issues. Pitching depth behind superstar Tarik Skubal and newcomer Framber Valdez is a legitimate concern. Fellow starters Justin Verlander and Jack Flaherty were both knocked out early in their first starts of the 2026 season.
Perhaps more concerning for the club, however, is their offense. More specifically, the team’s top of the lineup has underperformed to begin the current campaign. Kerry Carpenter and Gleyber Torres have mostly been utilized as the top two hitters in manager A.J. Hinch’s lineup. The duo has just five hits in 35 combined at-bats (.142 average) in 2026 so far, though.
While the season is still new, Tigers management will want to add some firepower if the struggles continue. One player who could give Detroit a boost up top is Pittsburgh Pirates star Oneil Cruz. The speedster was previously linked with the Tigers back in October. At the time, Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer believed that Cruz would be a great fit in Detroit.
The Tigers finished the 2025 campaign with the fewest stolen bases in the entire league (61). Cruz, on the other hand, recently co-led the National League with 38 steals on the season. Although an offseason trade ultimately did not materialize, Rymer still thinks the Tigers could land Cruz. The 27-year-old infielder/outfielder is owed just $3.3 million for the 2026 season and will not become an unrestricted free agent until 2029.
Detroit Tigers One of Several Teams to Show Interest in Oneil Cruz
GettyOneil Cruz could potentially benefit from a change of scenery.
According to previous reports, the Pirates have been listening to offers for Cruz since at least the summer of 2025. Nevertheless, a deal has not been worked out because Pittsburgh was not necessarily in a rush. Pirates officials are being patient and only willing to strike a deal if their asking price is met. The team’s patience, however, could be wearing thin.
Cruz made headlines on opening day for misplaying two fly balls during a matchup with the New York Mets. After the game, the star claimed that he was uncomfortable in the outfield because of the sun. Partially due to the errors, star pitcher Paul Skenes was pulled after recording just two outs. It was the shortest outing of his MLB career.
Detroit Could Deploy Cruz in Yet Another Position
Cruz’s transition to center field from shortstop has not exactly gone as planned. After committing 24 infield errors in 2024, he led all center fielders in errors with 11 in 2025. As Rymer points out, a move to a corner outfield spot would be beneficial for Cruz. Nevertheless, the Pirates just do not have the roster flexibility to facilitate the switch. This is where Detroit could come into play.
While Pittsburgh may not be able to move Cruz to a corner outfield spot, the Tigers could. The switch would seemingly take some pressure off the former infielder, while still keeping his bat in the lineup. So far this season, the speedster has already hit two home runs and posted a .927 OPS in five games.
Although he has yet to record a stolen base in the young campaign, Cruz will certainly be a threat to pick up his third consecutive 20/20 season. At the moment, the Tigers are one of just four MLB teams with just one stolen base in 2026.
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