DK’s Daily Shot of Pirates Oneil Cruz isn’t anyone’s problem 

Cruz is certainly not the problem. Not by a long shot. He is one of the few hitters carrying his own weight, and is vital to the success of the team. He also cannot stay at shortstop. He has been such a liability over there that you cannot keep him there beyond this season. That's ok! Move him to right field and sign a SS in free agency

Went to the game last night. Decent number of Pirates fans present. McKinney is from Dallas so good start in front of hometown folks.

Only three wins in August for this team!! Let that sink in! Da'wreck Shelton is the Raygun of MLB managers.... Fire him and his batting coach buddy, Andy Paines!!! ASAP!!!

Cruz’s errors have objectively cost us several games

THANK YOU

Dk, I cannot speak for other fans but my complaints about Oneil Cruz have nothing to do with the language barrier. I didn’t even know he didn’t speak English nor do I think his “care free” appearance is a con. I think your take is off there. And in my case somewhat offensive to be placed in a bucket like that. I have high hopes for the guy and love when he’s on. A majority of the time he’s been a huge bright spot for this team, as you noted. I scratch my head when I see him striking out 4-5 times a game whiffing at completely unhittable balls the night after he has a 4 hit night. So I would just like to see him grow into more of a consistent batter because with his build he has enormous potential. I don’t know if he’ll be able to tap into his full potential until this organization gets serious about hiring real hitting coaches and getting real resources for these players though. FYI, I can still love the guy and want him on my team while still being critical of him at times. As a fan I find it best to just focus on the sport and not all the characteristics of a player because it’s 2024 and if I dig enough into anyone I can find something that triggers me. I don’t have the time for that. I just want to be a supportive fan the players of the team I love and let my opinion of them be based on baseball related characteristics.

Reynolds may be slightly below average but Cruz is literally leading the league in errors.

Clean House GM,Manager and Coaches and get rid of the dead weight players

Why not try Cruz in the outfield? Seriously. He has the speed, and he 1000% has the arm, and height to rob those HR. We have guys who can shift to SS…

The bottom fell out on my Pirates after the all-star game. . They went from second place to last place almost overnight. . 😞

I think the problem is the GM, manager, coaching and scouting staff. And of course the owner.

Cruz is not the problem. Sheltie is the problem. For letting Cruz continue to play SS. Good and steady play at SS is very important. Ask any member of the 1979 world champion Pirate team how important Tim Foli was. You want Cruz's bat in the lineup. So let him DH. At least for the rest of the season. That would also save some wear and tear on his ankle.

Heck, maybe he meant to say Hayes 😂

People were frustrated with Marte because he got suspended 50 games in 2017. Probably cost us the season.

Pittsburgh has surely never had an issue with a non native english speaker being perceived as lazy or "lacking IQ" Anyone who thinks hes been a problem, or will be a problem in the future, really needs to ask themselves why they are singling out the 3rd best bat on the team. Should he move off short? Maybe. But he has the speed, the arm, etc to play anywhere.

With Shelton managing. I got me doubts ike ike ike. ( Popeye)

Thanks DK..Oneil is still only 25 years old and still oozing with upside. It’s been super refreshing to see his growth at the plate this year. Trying him in the outfield is an obvious thing they need to do next year. But overall we should all be grateful he’s here with the possibility of being a superstar in the future, in Pittsburgh, and not somewhere else.

Morning DK HARD working Stan the man checking in have a wonderful day 😊

Exit velocity does not make a great ballplayer. He's one of the better pirates, which is akin to to saying he's the strongest fellow in a retirement home...

Now DK is telling us a guy who makes little league errors every game is not part of the problem.....Let me guess, no hit Hayes isn't part of the problem either...

I think cruz is jist a bit too clumsy for SS. I also think it bothers people when he makes an error and is next seen on camera smiling and laughing with another player. The optics of that is enough to warp an opinion on any given player. People just want to see him lock in after errors

Looks like Ortiz is going to give uo 4 so we need to get 5. Wasn't it Picket's rookie year last year? I was watching the preseason game and he wasn't there. I was told he was traded to the Eagles for a pack or stick of gum? I thought he was going to be a great QB. Now we have an old man and a RB for QB. What a miserable season and it didn't even start yet.

Really pathetic take dk. Is his agent paying you?