The Cincinnati Reds have been one of the more disappointing teams in baseball this season. After sneaking into the playoff last year, the Reds find themselves at 47-54 and toward the bottom of the standings with the MLB trade deadline approaching, and sweeping changes could be made.
Cincinnati is almost guaranteed to sell before Aug. 3. Pitcher Brady Singer has been floated a sure-fire trade candidate, and slugger Eugenio Suarez — who is currently in his second stint with the Reds — could be on the move, as well.
But could Cincinnati also do the unthinkable and place shortstop Elly De La Cruz on the trade block?
It’s a sensitive discussion that has been had among Reds fans throughout the year, and you do have to wonder if De La Cruz is getting frustrated with the team’s lack of sucess.
C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic actually believes Cincinnati should field trade offers on the two-time All-Star, even if it would be painful to digest.
“Forget ‘threading the needle.’ The Reds should open up and listen to offers on anyone, even De La Cruz, to see how they can maximize any trade return,” Rosecrans wrote. “If a player isn’t going to be part of the core that could win in 2027 or 2028 and another team has interest, all trades need to be considered.”
Well, the issue with that is De La Cruz is absolutely going to be part of Cincinnati’s core in 2027 and 2028. Or, at least, you would think so.
The 24-year-old is under team control through 2029, so the Reds don’t have to be in any rush to move him. But could the small-market franchise weigh the possibility, especially if another club comes along with a Godfather offer for the youngster?
De La Cruz is slashing .276/.351/.503 with 17 home runs and 46 RBI over 367 plate appearances his season. He has also stolen 16 bases.
The Dominican native made is big-league debut in 2023 and owns a lifetime .259/.333/.454 slash line, and during his sophomore campaign, he led the majors with 67 stolen bases.
Cincinnati could certainly reap quite a haul if it decided to part ways with De La Cruz, but such a move would also have severe ramifications as far as the fanbase is concerned.
The Reds probably won’t be jettisoning De La Cruz over the next week-and-a-half, but this will be an interesting situation to monitor.
