The Cincinnati Reds made Elly De La Cruz an unprecedented offer this week, but it was not enough to get him to sign on the dotted line.
De La Cruz and the Reds have been in dialogue about a contract extension over the past year. On Friday, Reds president Nick Krall shed light on the discussions the team has had with De La Cruz. Krall revealed that the two-time All-Star turned down what would have been the largest contract offer in franchise history.
“We made Elly an offer that would’ve made him the highest-paid Red ever,” Krall told reporters, via The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans. “That’s not where he is, and you respect that. It’s their career. You keep going, and you keep working on what you can do today.”
Joey Votto currently holds the record for the highest-paid Reds player with the 10-year, $225 million contract he signed in 2012. With salaries soaring since then, De La Cruz’s offer likely far exceeded Votto’s relatively modest $22.5 million by today’s standards.
De La Cruz, who just turned 24 earlier this month, is entering his fourth season in MLB. He led the Reds to their first playoff appearance in five years last season. The Cincinnati shortstop batted .264 and led the team in home runs (22), RBIs (86), and was one stolen base shy (37) of tying for the NL lead. He did that all while nursing a rather serious injury, which Krall revealed last month.
De La Cruz’s combination of youth and production from a premium position makes him one of the most highly sought-after rising stars in the majors. It’s no surprise his agent, Scott Boras, is leveraging that in an attempt to shatter the Reds’ all-time biggest contract.
