The Reds recently completed a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Angels and the Tampa Bay Rays to improve their pitching staff, sending infielder Gavin Lux and pitching prospect Chris Clark to the Rays for reliever Brock Burke. However, the Reds need more offense (19th in batting average, .245) to give franchise star Elly De La Cruz a chance to compete against the top teams, as he may not be interested in being a Red long-term.
Elly De La Cruz has rejected the extension of the recording contract
At 24 years old, De La Cruz has built an impressive resume in his three years in the major leagues, earning All-Star honors twice (2024 and 2025). He also finished high in the MVP voting, finishing eighth in 2024 – while leading the MLB in stolen bases with 67 – and 23rd in 2025 (play in all 162 games).
These performances prompted the Reds to offer De La Cruz a massive contract extension last spring, eclipsing franchise icon Joey Votto’s 10-year, $225 million contract (a club record) in 2012, according to Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans.
When asked why a deal wasn’t made, president of baseball operations Nick Krall said that’s “not where he is [Elly] is, and you have to respect that.”
“We made Elly an offer that would have made him the highest-paid Red ever,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said Friday: according to Rosecrans. ‘That’s’ not where he is, and you have to respect that. It’s their career. You keep going and you keep working on what you can do today.”
In all 162 games, De La Cruz had a career batting average of .264 and an OPS of .777. He also lowered his strikeouts, dropping from a career-high 218 in 2024 to 181 in 2025.
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