The Tampa Bay Rays spent 2026 looking like a team ready to break through. They won 98 games, finished atop the American League East and captured the AL pennant, only to come up short of the first World Series title in franchise history when the Milwaukee Brewers beat them in five games.
Now the offseason is here, and the front office has work to do. Replacing Nick Martinez, who declined his mutual option and became a free agent, is part of the picture. But the bigger task is obvious: the Rays need more offense if they want to take the next step.
That’s why a wild trade idea from Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report stands out. He proposed a deal that would send Cincinnati Reds star shortstop Elly De La Cruz to Tampa Bay.
The package heading to Cincinnati would be hefty. The Rays would part with shortstop Grady Emerson, their No. 1 prospect and No. 12 in MLB, catcher Caden Bodine, their No. 3 prospect and No. 41 overall, and right-handed pitcher Brody Hopkins.
On paper, it’s not the kind of move Tampa Bay usually makes. The Rays have built their reputation on the other side of these kinds of deals, dealing established names and bringing back younger, more affordable talent. De La Cruz doesn’t fit that usual mold either, since he’s already in his arbitration years.
Still, there’s a wrinkle here. He’s under team control through 2029, and the source material points to a future in which Tampa Bay could be in a new stadium, coming off a World Series appearance and operating with new ownership. In that setting, the Rays’ approach could look different.
And the fit is clear. Tampa Bay could use help up the middle, where Taylor Walls is a Gold Glove winner at shortstop but brings little with the bat. Second base was handled by Ben Williamson and Richie Palacios Jr. in a platoon, while Cedric Mullins opened in center field and didn’t quite meet expectations.
De La Cruz would change that conversation fast. He’s a two-time All-Star and one of the most electric players in the sport, the kind of bat that would slot into a lineup already featuring Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda, with Chandler Simpson also emerging as a contributor. That’s a lot for opposing pitchers to navigate.
There are some swing-and-miss concerns in his profile - his career strikeout rate sits at 29.2% - but he’s also drawing more walks, coming off a career-best 11.3% walk rate. Add in the fact that he hits the ball extremely hard, and the offensive upgrade is easy to see.
Even so, the price tag is enormous. It’s difficult to picture Tampa Bay giving up three prospects of that quality, including its top-ranked minor leaguer, for only three seasons of De La Cruz. Unless major changes to the salary cap make a long-term extension realistic, this still feels like a long shot, even with the Rays moving in a more aggressive direction.
In Other News...
Elly De La Cruz Just Gave Reds Fans A New Debate
Sal Stewarts Rookie of the Year season gave the Reds a new offensive centerpiece, but the conversation around Cincinnatis infield got a little more interesting when the All-MLB teams were announced. Elly De La Cruz landed on the Second Team at shortstop, a recognition that still puts him among the games elite and keeps his name in the same breath as the best players at the position.
Bobby Witt Jr. took the First Team spot, which is where the debate starts for Reds fans who have watched De La Cruzs all-around impact grow. He finished second among shortstops in batting average and led the group in slugging percentage and OPS, a combination that only adds fuel to the argument about where he belongs on the sports top tier. Meanwhile, Tejay Antones comeback after his third Tommy John surgery was one of the years better feel-good stories in Cincinnati, even if his return to 58 games did not land him among the National League comeback player finalists. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Krall Just Raised An Uncomfortable Elly De La Cruz Question
Emilio Pagns decision to opt out and reportedly land with the Detroit Tigers only adds to an offseason that already has the Reds juggling a few important roster questions. Cincinnati has several key free agents to sort through, but the biggest one hanging over the front office is still Elly De La Cruz, the dynamic centerpiece who gives the club its most electric presence and, in many ways, its clearest path forward.
Nick Krall said the Reds want to keep De La Cruz long-term, which is the easy part of the conversation. The harder part is the one he left open by not shutting the door on a future trade, even while saying there have been no trade talks this offseason. For a team trying to balance present ambition with long-term control, that leaves De La Cruz as both the obvious answer and the uncomfortable question. [Read more 🡒]
Former Reds Coach Derek Johnson Just Took An Unexpected Next Step
Derek Johnsons next stop came together faster than many around the Reds likely expected. The longtime pitching coach, who was recently replaced in Cincinnati, has landed with the New York Mets in an advisory role, giving him a new home in the game after his stint with the Reds ended following a leave of absence during the 2023 season.
The setup in New York is a little different from the grind Johnson had in Cincinnati. His new position does not require daily travel with the club, which makes it a more flexible arrangement as he remains part of a major league organization without the full-time demands of a traditional dugout job. For a Reds team moving on from a familiar voice in its pitching room, it is another reminder of how quickly the coaching carousel can turn. [Read more 🡒]