Cincinnati Reds Provide Trade Update on Elly De La Cruz

The Cincinnati Reds have not had trade discussions involving shortstop Elly De La Cruz, but president of baseball operations Nick Krall did not fully shut them down.

Speaking at the general managers’ meetings earlier this week, Krall addressed the speculation directly. “I’m never going to say never, but we haven’t had any conversations,” he said, according to The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans, who shared the comments on X.

Krall did not say De La Cruz is untouchable. He said no talks have happened. Those are two very different statements. Cincinnati has a ton of needs this winter, and De La Cruz is the most valuable chip they have. 

De La Cruz just finished the best offensive season of his career. The 24-year-old hit .283 with 30 home runs, 79 RBI, 30 stolen bases and an .880 OPS across 143 games. His .283 average and .365 on-base percentage were both career highs.

He posted a 5.5 WAR, led the club in batting average and became the fourth player in Reds history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season. He also earned All-MLB Second Team recognition.

The case for keeping him is straightforward. De La Cruz has three years of team control remaining, is entering his first arbitration-eligible season in 2027 and is under club control through 2029. He is one of the best players in the league, and if Cincinnati wants to compete, keeping him around is a no-brainer.

The Reds also do not need to make a decision based on this winter’s trade market. They have time to build around him, and Sal Stewart’s NL Rookie of the Year season gives them another young All-Star to pair with him.

The case for listening to offers though is also there. Cincinnati finished 75-87 and last in the NL Central. Hunter Greene is expected to miss all of 2027 after a second Tommy John surgery. The rotation and bullpen both need major additions. The Reds are a small-market team. They already tried to extend him during spring training of 2025 and it did not get done. Every year they wait, the price goes up and the return in a trade goes down.

Krall is not shopping him. But he is not closing the door either. The Reds need pitching badly enough that if the right package comes in, the conversation will happen. That is exactly what “I’m never going to say never” means.