Dominican court sets bail for Pirates prospect Oneil Cruz

Jerry DiPaola
Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 6:30 p.m. | Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 6:30 p.m.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz ftakes a throw at second base during infield drills Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, at Pirate City in Bradenton.

Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Oneil Cruz, who was involved in a traffic accident that killed three people in the Dominican Republic early Monday morning, was ordered to pay bail of 2 million Dominican Pesos ($34,000 in U.S. currency) during a preliminary hearing Friday, Dionisio Soldevila of the Dominican newspaper Periodico Hoy reported.

#PeriódicoHOY Imponen garantía económica a pelotero implicado en accidente en el que murieron tres personas #ElPaísHOY https://t.co/ACbm8d4FqE pic.twitter.com/L1uA8Kt4Mf

— Periódico Hoy (@PeriodicoHoy) September 25, 2020

Cruz, the Pirates’ No. 3 overall prospect, must appear in court periodically before the trial, but he will not be jailed at this time. If convicted, however, he faces up to five years in prison and heavy fines. There is no word on when the trial will begin.

The @pirates prospect Oneil Cruz must pay a RD$2 million bail (US$34,000) for the accident in which he crashed and killed three.

— Dionisio Soldevila (@dSoldevila) September 25, 2020

Authorities say Cruz, 21, was under the influence of alcohol when his vehicle crashed into a motorcycle, killing two males and one female early Monday.

Cruz, who was out past a curfew established in response to the coronavirus pandemic, was arrested at the scene. He was reportedly uninjured.

Cruz, an infielder, spent most of this season at the Pirates’ satellite camp in Altoona. When camp broke, he returned home to the Dominican Republic. In a normal season, he would have played for the Pirates’ Triple-A team in Indianapolis.

Cruz is ranked as the No. 60 prospect in MLB, according to MLB Pipeline. He is the Pirates’ No. 3 prospect behind Nick Gonzales, the team’s 2020 first-round draft choice, and rookie Ke’Bryan Hayes.

He hit .269 in Altoona last season, with one home run.

The Pirates acquired Cruz and pitcher Angel German from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 2017 trade for relief pitcher Tony Watson.

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Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.