The Cincinnati Reds have certainly been a disappointment this season. After making the playoffs last year, the Reds are currently 40-47 and sit in last place in the NL Central.
With the MLB trade deadline looming, the Reds are expected to be sellers, as they have some veterans — such as third baseman Eugenio Suarez — that could be of interest to contenders.
But would Cincinnati do something crazy like trade Elly De La Cruz?
Speculation surfaced earlier this season that the Reds might consider moving their star shortstop if things continue going south, and now, we have reached that juncture with Cincinnati floundering.
However, Jason Williams of The Cincinnati Enquirer can’t seem to imagine the Reds moving De La Cruz and provided an update on the situation over the weekend.
“And then there’s Elly De La Cruz. I’m not in the camp that he should be traded. Moving him would signal a complete rebuild (again), and it’d be a major public-relations disaster for the Reds. The Reds can’t afford that,” Williams wrote.
De La Cruz is slashing .273/.343/.483 with 13 home runs and 40 RBI over 303 plate appearances this season, adding 12 stolen bases. His defensive metrics are a bit polarizing, as he owns a minus-3 DRS but a plus-5 OAA. His FRV is also a plus-4. Most who watch him feel he boasts an impressive glove.
“They are already in trouble of going over the cliff with fan interest,” Williams continued. “Fans are fed up with watching the same, tired storyline play out year after year, decade after decade. Their anger continues to bubble just beneath the surface toward owner Phil Castellini, who hasn’t been forgiven for his ‘where you gonna go’ comment in 2022.”
Unless the Reds are blown away with a trade offer, the chances of them moving De La Cruz between now and Aug. 3 are basically zero.
And even if Cincinnati does receive a massive offer for the 24-year-old, it’s hard to imagine president Nick Krall — who could be on the hot seat — would actually pull the trigger on such a deal.
De La Cruz entered the big leagues in 2023 and owns a lifetime .781 OPS. He made back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2024 and 2025.
The Dominican native is under team control through 2029.
