Elly De La Cruz appears to be getting a wandering eye.
The Cincinnati Reds star shortstop De La Cruz has “bigger ambitions” that being in Cincinnati long-term and wants to be in a winning situation, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reported on Tuesday. Rosecrans notes that De La Cruz also turned down an extension offer from the Reds a couple of years ago that was the largest contract offer in franchise history.
De La Cruz, 24, has already emerged as one of the most electrifying players in Major League Baseball. A true five-tool talent, De La Cruz is a two-time All-Star and one-time MLB stolen bases leader who is currently putting together his most complete season yet.
The switch-hitting De La Cruz is batting a career-high .284 this season to go along with 27 home runs, 72 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases. He has also been incredibly durable, appearing in 160 games in 2024, all 162 games in 2025, and 132 of 151 games so far in 2026.
But the Reds do not look like a long-term winner right now. They snuck into the playoffs last season at 83-79 (eventually getting swept in the NL Wild Card series by the Los Angeles Dodgers) and have already been eliminated from playoff contention this season at 70-81.
De La Cruz is only about to enter his first year of arbitration eligibility and remains under club control through the 2029 season. But he certainly has the makings of a big-market player and could become a trade candidate in short order if he becomes truly frustrated in Cincinnati.
