After being a surprise playoff team in 2025, the Cincinnati Reds will look to be even better next season to compete for the lead in the National League Central.
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 at competing against the top teams, as he may not be interested in being a Red long-term.
Elly De La Cruz turned down record contract extension
At 24, De La Cruz has put together an impressive resume in his three years in the big leagues, earning All-Star honors twice (2024 and 2025). He also finished high in the MVP voting, finishing eighth in 2024 —while leading MLB in stolen bases with 67 — and 23rd in 2025 (playing in all 162 games).
These accomplishments led the Reds to offer De La Cruz a massive contract extension last spring, eclipsing franchise icon Joey Votto’s 10-year, $225M contract (a club record) in 2012, according to the Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans.
When asked why a deal didn’t get done, president of baseball operations Nick Krall said that’s “not where he [Elly] is, and you have to respect that.”
“We made Elly an offer that would’ve made him the highest-paid Red ever,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said Friday, per Rosecrans. “Thats “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-high 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.