Elly De La Cruz reportedly turned down a huge contract offer from the Reds.
Cincinnati Reds superstar Elly De La Cruz is becoming one of the best players in baseball. De La Cruz and Hunter Greene are now the faces of the Reds. However, the latest report may have fans worried about De La Cruz's desire to remain in Cincinnati for the long-term future.
According to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said that De La Cruz declined an offer from the team that would have been the largest contract in Reds history.
De La Cruz is only 24 years old. He can realistically earn an even larger contract by continuing to improve. The shortstop is still under team control and it is not as if he's leaving anytime soon, but his decision to decline the Reds' largest ever contract offer may cause some fans to worry.
Ball clubs like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and New York Yankees will surely be open to making him a massive offer once he does enter free agency down the road. If De La Cruz continues to decline contract extension offers from Cincinnati, the Reds may need to trade him at some point to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing in free agency.
De La Cruz has played at a high level through his first three big league seasons. In 2023, he finished seventh in National League Rookie of the Year voting. The shortstop then earned the first All-Star selection of his career in 2024. De La Cruz ended up hitting 25 home runs while recording an .809 OPS in addition to stealing a league leading 67 bases during the '24 campaign.
In 2025, De La Cruz finished the year with a .777 OPS, 22 home runs and 37 stolen bases. He also earned his second career All-Star selection.
It is worth noting that De La Cruz has played in at least 160 games in each of the past two seasons. He has been able to provide the ball club with consistent playing time in addition to his impressive performance on the field.
The Reds are clearly building around him. The question is whether or not they will be able to keep Elly De La Cruz in Cincinnati for the long-term future. It remains to be seen, but De La Cruz will be a candidate to land a huge contract someday -- whether it's an extension with the Reds or a contract elsewhere.