After being a shock playoff workforce in 2025, the Cincinnati Reds will look to be even higher subsequent season to compete for the lead within the Nationwide League Central.
The Reds just lately accomplished a three-team commerce with the Los Angeles Angels and the Tampa Bay Rays to enhance their pitching employees, sending infielder Gavin Lux and pitching prospect Chris Clark to the Rays for reliever Brock Burke. Nonetheless, the Reds want extra offense (nineteenth in batting common, .245) to offer franchise star Elly De La Cruz an opportunity at competing towards the highest groups, as he might not be enthusiastic about being a Crimson long-term.
Elly De La Cruz turned down document contract extension
At 24, De La Cruz has put collectively a powerful resume in his three years within the huge leagues, incomes All-Star honors twice (2024 and 2025). He additionally completed excessive within the MVP voting, ending eighth in 2024 —whereas main MLB in stolen bases with 67 — and twenty third in 2025 (playing in all 162 games).
These accomplishments led the Reds to supply De La Cruz an enormous contract extension final spring, eclipsing franchise icon Joey Votto’s 10-year, $225M contract (a membership document) in 2012, in keeping with the Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans.
When requested why a deal did not get finished, president of baseball operations Nick Krall stated that is “not the place he [Elly] is, and it’s important to respect that.”
“We made Elly a proposal that might’ve made him the highest-paid Crimson ever,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall stated Friday, per Rosecrans. “Thats “not the place he’s, and it’s important to respect that. It is their profession. You retain going and you retain engaged on what you are able to do at this time.”
In all 162 video games, De La Cruz had a career-high batting common of .264 and an OPS of .777. He additionally lowered his strikeouts, dropping from a career-high 218 in 2024 to 181 in 2025.
