Pirates trade deadline bust receiving 'sneaky good' signing praise is infuriating

Bryan De La Cruz was supposed to be the answer to the Pittsburgh Pirates' lack of offensive power at the trade deadline last season. Instead, he was non-tendered by the club less than four months after they acquired him.

Needless to say, De La Cruz was not the missing piece the Pirates were looking for. The trade that sent a pair of Pirates prospects to the Miami Marlins in exchange for the 27-year-old outfielder was a colossal swing and a miss for Pittsburgh (an appropriate metaphor, given his appallingly high 31% strikeout rate with the Pirates). In 44 games with Pittsburgh, De La Cruz slashed an abysmal .200/.220/.294 with three home runs and minus-3 defensive runs saved.

De La Cruz's arrival in Pittsburgh happened to coincide with a second-half tailspin that sent the Pirates – who were, at one point, in the thick of the National League Wild Card race – tumbling down the standings to a last-place finish in the NL Central. Again.

Of course, this isn't to suggest that De La Cruz singlehandedly torpedoed Pittsburgh's playoff chances. But for a player who was brought in to bolster those chances, he certainly left a lot to be desired.

Bryan De La Cruz receiving 'sneaky good' signing praise with Braves is infuriating for Pirates fans

After the Pirates non-tendered him, De La Cruz agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract (whatever that means) with the Atlanta Braves on Dec. 15. Essentially, he is expected to serve as a stopgap in right field while the Braves wait for Ronald Acuña Jr. to recover from his torn ACL. Fine.

But when Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller tabbed De La Cruz signing with the Braves as one of the "sneaky good," under-the-radar free agent deals ahead of the 2025 season, Pirates fans who witnessed his collapse over the last 44 games were left scratching their heads. Miller even went so far as to suggest that once Acuña returns to action, there's a decent chance De La Cruz will play a "key role" as the Braves' primary outfield reserve and/or top pinch-hitting option.

"Though we expected [the Braves] to do more than they have done, it'd be hard to argue with this $860k pickup," Miller wrote. "Even if De La Cruz ends up playing miserably through April and gets DFA'd upon Acuña's return, it beats making a more substantial investment in someone like Alex Verdugo or Harrison Bader for a part-time job."

OK. So it seems like the price point is what makes this signing "sneaky good" by Miller's evaluation. But if De La Cruz plays in Atlanta the way he did in Pittsburgh, even $860,000 is going to feel like an overpay.

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