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This story is from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. Click here to read the full newsletter. And subscribe to get regular access to your inbox.
CINCINNATI — The offseason trade seal on Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz was broken last month by former Reds great Joey Votto. The buzz hasn’t died down, despite president of baseball operations Nick Krall denying any known discussions and trade talks.
Votto was asked what his top priority would be if he were Cincinnati’s general manager.
“I would trade Ellie for as many prospects as possible to start with,” Votto told the Foul Territory podcast in October. “You’re going to give up half or a third of your salary to a player? It doesn’t make sense.”
The questions about De La Cruz potentially being moved by Cincinnati have not stopped.
De La Cruz, 24, who made his debut on June 6, 2023, will be a free agent after the 2029 season. His agent, Scott Boras, rarely signs clients to extensions before hitting the open market.
For a blueprint for what could happen, whether this season or before the 2027 Trade Deadline, look no further than De La Cruz’s friend and fellow Boras Corporation client, megastar Juan Soto. At age 23 and already with more than four years of major league service under his belt, Soto and veteran Josh Bell were traded from the Nationals to the Padres in an eight-player blockbuster on August 2, 2022.
Washington’s perspective was great. That included shortstop CJ Abrams and outfielder James Wood, both of whom have since become two-time All-Stars. MacKenzie Gore, a 2025 All-Star, pitched in Washington for three years before being traded to the Rangers last winter. Outside linebacker Robert Hassell III, San Diego’s No. 1 prospect at the time, still hasn’t caught on.
Before the trade, Soto had more than two years until he reached free agency. He also declined a 15-year, $440 million extension offer.
“We felt like we weren’t going to be able to extend him,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said after the trade. “And we felt that with two-and-a-half years left, three playoff runs is possible for Juan Soto, he’s never going to be more valuable than he is today, and we took that as a baseline.”
De La Cruz is not on Soto’s level when it comes to star status and production. But he was an All-Star in 2024 and ’25 and a 30-30 player in 2026. His talent in five instruments is admired by the industry.
Krall and the Reds are in an enviable position. Expect to trade De La Cruz, and his value will only decrease as he approaches free agency. The Reds have often been burned for holding on to players for too long and generating less than optimal returns.
But trading De La Cruz this offseason or this summer could risk alienating a Reds fan base that has endured multiple rebuilds and missed competitive windows. Cincinnati hasn’t won a World Series since 1990 and hasn’t advanced in a postseason series since 1995. At least Washington had a World Series championship with Soto in 2019, and that generated goodwill.
On the other hand, the Nationals finished no better than fourth after trading Soto.
This year’s World Series clubs — the small-market Brewers and Rays — frequently traded star players to stay competitive. But unlike the Reds, they’ve also been playoff regulars.
De La Cruz, who became eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, hit .283 with an .880 OPS, 30 homers, 79 RBIs and 30 steals in 143 games in 2026.
“We have three years of control over him,” Krall said of De La Cruz at the GM meetings in Las Vegas on Tuesday. “He’s a really good player at our club. At the moment I think if there’s something there or someone wants to come and talk to us about it… but he’s a great player and I love having him in our team.”