Pirates GM reiterates support for Oneil Cruz, expects him to be available for spring training

Despite being involved in an accident that killed three people in the Dominican Republic, the Pittsburgh Pirates are expecting top prospect Oneil Cruz to be able to play next season.

“No reason to believe he wouldn’t be available for spring training, full participant,” Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Wednesday on a conference call. “No information that I have that would suggest he wouldn’t be.”

Cruz, 21, was arrested last week after his SUV collided with a motorcycle carrying two men and a woman on a highway on the Baní-San Cristóbal section of the Sánchez highway in the Dominican. Cruz was released Friday on $34,000 bail.

Although the Pirates have attorneys in the Dominican Republic, where they have a baseball academy, Cherington said Cruz hired his own representation and “there’s no relationship between our attorneys and his attorneys.”

Cherington said Sunday on his weekly show on radio flagship 93.7 The Fan that no evidence has been presented to prove that Cruz was driving under the influence of alcohol, as first reported, and reiterated the Pirates’ support for the 6-foot-7 shortstop who ranks as the club’s No. 3 prospect and the No. 68 prospect in baseball.

“It’s a tragic accident and our hearts go out to the victims — and ‘accident’ is the word to emphasize,” Cherington said. “There is no indication or any piece of evidence that we’ve seen that suggests it’s anything but an accident.

“Oneil is a young player and a young person now that has been through something very traumatic, and we’re going to continue to work with him, support him through it. He’s been incredibly cooperative throughout this, done everything that’s been asked of him, so that’s all the information we have right now.”