Elly De La Cruz Turns Down Record Reds Extension Offer - Here’s What It Means for Cincinnati’s Future
CINCINNATI - The Reds swung big last spring, offering Elly De La Cruz a contract that would’ve made him the highest-paid player in franchise history - more than Joey Votto’s 10-year, $225 million deal from 2012. But De La Cruz passed, opting to bet on himself rather than lock into a long-term deal just yet.
“We made Elly an offer that would’ve made him the highest-paid Red ever,” said Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall. “That’s not where he is and you respect that.
It’s their career. You keep going and you keep working on what you can do today.”
De La Cruz, who just turned 24, isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2027 and won’t hit free agency until after the 2029 season. That gives the Reds some runway, but also puts a ticking clock on one of the most electrifying young players in baseball.
When asked about the negotiations, De La Cruz kept it simple: “I let my agent take care of all of that.” That agent is Scott Boras - a name that often signals players are aiming for top dollar and maximum leverage.
And De La Cruz wouldn’t be the first young star to walk that path. While some players have opted for early security - like Bobby Witt Jr., who signed an 11-year, $288.8 million extension with the Royals in 2024, or Corbin Carroll’s eight-year, $111 million deal with the Diamondbacks - others have gone the distance. Juan Soto famously turned down a 15-year, $440 million offer from the Nationals in 2022, eventually landing a record 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets after stops in San Diego and New York.
Even Pete Crow-Armstrong reportedly declined a long-term extension with the Cubs, choosing to keep conversations going rather than committing early.
The Reds, for their part, have a history of locking in young talent. Votto’s deal is the headliner, but under then-GM Walt Jocketty, the team also signed Jay Bruce, Johnny Cueto, and Devin Mesoraco to extensions before they hit free agency.
More recently, they inked right-hander Hunter Greene to a six-year, $53 million deal in April 2023 - with a seventh-year club option and escalators that could push it north of $95 million. That contract bought out two years of Greene’s free agency, and if the Reds pick up his $21 million option for 2029, he’d hit the market after his age-29 season.
De La Cruz, meanwhile, would be entering his age-28 season when he becomes a free agent. So the Reds still have time - but not forever.
Krall acknowledged that the front office has approached other young players about extensions, but so far, nothing has materialized.
“We’ve got a lot of guys on this club that are impact players that have a chance to be impact players,” Krall said. “Hunter took a deal and that was great.
We love having him and he’s an anchor starter for us. We’ve had a lot of conversations over the years, it’s got to work out on both parties.”
That last part is key. The Reds clearly want to build around their young core, and they’re willing to spend to do it.
But getting a deal done takes two sides aligned on timing, value, and vision. In De La Cruz’s case, he’s betting on continued growth and a market that keeps trending upward - and with his talent, that’s not a bad bet.
For now, the Reds will keep rolling with one of baseball’s brightest young stars under team control. But if De La Cruz keeps ascending, the price to keep him in Cincinnati long-term is only going up.