Reds 'Made a Run' at Elly De La Cruz Contract, Talks Not Ongoing, Team President Says
The Cincinnati Reds are hoping to ink star Elly De La Cruz to a long-term deal, but the team isn't progressing towards a new contract right now.
Team president Nick Krall said the Reds have tried to reach an agreement on a contract with De La Cruz but weren't on the same page.
"He's obviously one of the best players in the league," Krall said on MLB Network Radio. "We've made a run at it and obviously didn't get anything done. We've had those conversations, and that's not something that we've been able to match up on. Hopefully, there's something there, but as of right now, there's no talks that are currently happening."
De La Cruz is still on a pre-arbitration contract, earning $770,000 for the 2025 season. He has one more pre-arbitration year remaining before being arbitration-eligible in 2027. He's under team control until 2029.
The Reds will try to get De La Cruz signed to a long-term extension well before he hits the free agency market, but if he is on the open market, he's sure to get some lucrative offers.
De La Cruz, still just 23 years old, has 16 home runs, 50 RBI and a .273 batting average, adding 20 stolen bases as well. He's coming off a season in which he collected 25 home runs, 76 RBI and 67 stolen bases in his first full year in the majors.
Considering what De La Cruz has already done, it wouldn't be surprising to see him get a contract similar to those that Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani received in recent years.
In a survey of current MLB executives and agents by ESPN's Jeff Passan last month, De La Cruz was one of the players named most likely to surpass Soto's $765 million threshold for the most expensive contract ever. The only player receiving more votes than him was Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson.
If the Reds act soon, they could avoid having to pay De La Cruz that kind of money, but the longer they wait, the market for star players will only get more expensive. That will likely be in Krall's mind as they look to continue contract talks.
