The Yankees keep circling the same dead end, and that’s why Joey Votto’s comments hit so hard. New York has spent another season staring at postseason disappointment, and the early noise around the roster hasn’t exactly felt like a franchise ready to swing for the fences.
There’s talk the club isn’t in the market to replace Austin Wells behind the plate, only to find a better partner than Ali Sanchez. There’s the possibility of moving on from Ryan McMahon.
There’s also the discouraging note that New York is unlikely to chase Japanese star Teruaki Sato.
If the Yankees are waiting for a true game-changer, Elly De La Cruz is the kind of name that forces the conversation.
Votto, one of Cincinnati’s franchise icons, made the case plainly on AJ Pierzynski’s Foul Territory podcast. “I would trade Elly [De La Cruz] for as many prospects as possible to start,” Votto told AJ Pierzynski on the Foul Territory podcast.
“Elly's going to get $650 million. Even if he doesn't get that number, he's 50 to 60 per year times seven, just to start.
You know, let's say the CBA changes things; he's making $350 million over the course of seven years, minimum, six years minimum. Are you going to give up half or a third of your payroll on one player?
It doesn't make sense.”
That stance lines up with the financial reality around De La Cruz. The Reds reportedly made an extension offer in the spring of 2025 that topped the 10-year, $225 million deal Votto signed in April of 2012. De La Cruz turned it down, and since then the Scott Boras client has only raised his stock, with speculation growing that he could become baseball’s next $700 million player.
He’s also about to get a lot more expensive in the short term. De La Cruz is entering arbitration for the first time, and MLB Trade Rumors projects him to make $7.9 million in 2027 after making $800K in 2026. Even before any long-term extension talk or free agency, his salary is moving in the wrong direction for Cincinnati.
Votto also said the Reds should never have signed him to that extension in the first place and would have been better off trading him. That’s the same logic now hanging over De La Cruz, except the stakes are even bigger because his ceiling is so obvious.
The numbers back it up. De La Cruz just put together his first 30-30 season in 2026, hitting .283/.365/.515.
Every number in that line was a career best, including an 11.3% walk rate. The switch-hitter had long carried a .607 OPS against left-handed pitching into this year, but that weakness disappeared.
He opened hot against lefties and stayed there, finishing with a .990 OPS against them.
At 24, he’s still nowhere near his finished product. He’s almost a year younger than Spencer Jones, and he closed the season with a huge September surge, batting .348/.437/.719 with nine homers in 24 games while dealing with a bum quad.
The physical tools are as loud as the production. De La Cruz stands six-foot-six, posted a 94.7 mile per hour average exit velocity in 2026, and sits in the same air as Aaron Judge when it comes to pounding the ball, especially since Judge posted a 95.4 mile per hour average exit velocity in 2025. De La Cruz also brings a 92 mile per hour average arm and rare speed for his size.
For New York, that makes him more than just a star to admire from a distance. He’s the kind of player who could slot in behind Judge for a few years, then eventually become the face of the franchise when Judge’s era winds down.
If Cincinnati ever takes Votto’s advice and opens the door, the Yankees should treat the opportunity like a once-in-a-generation chance. George Lombard Jr. would have to be in the conversation.
Spencer Jones, too. Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange?
Also on the table. There shouldn’t be a single untouchable in a deal for a player like this.
With Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler already in place, New York could reshape its future in one stroke.
And the warning sign is already there. The Red Sox were reportedly involved at the trade deadline, trying to get to De La Cruz.
That alone should be enough to push the Yankees toward a full-scale offer. If New York wants the biggest splash available, this is the one worth making.
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Then came the kind of season that can change how an organization views a young player. Irish put together a breakout 2026 offensive campaign and earned a spot in the MLB Futures Game during the All-Star break, only for his year to come to an abrupt halt after a left meniscus injury. For the Orioles, the next chapter now is less about the promise they already saw and more about how his recovery shapes what comes next. [Read more 🡒]