Elly De La Cruz: The Reds’ Star Turned Down a Record-Breaking Extension
The Cincinnati Reds made a bold move last spring, offering shortstop Elly De La Cruz a contract extension that would have dwarfed Joey Votto’s team-record 10-year, $225 million deal signed in 2012. Surprisingly, De La Cruz declined the offer.
“We made Elly an offer that would’ve made him the highest-paid Red ever,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall revealed on Friday. “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.”
Future Free Agency and Arbitration
De La Cruz, who recently celebrated his 24th birthday, will first be eligible for arbitration in 2027. He won’t hit free agency until after the 2029 season. The player himself stated, “I let my agent take care of all of that,” at Redsfest.
His agent, Scott Boras, has yet to respond to inquiries from The Athletic regarding the situation.
The Trend of Long-Term Deals
In recent years, a growing number of young MLB stars have secured long-term contracts. Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals signed an 11-year, $288.8 million extension in February 2024, while Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll inked an eight-year, $111 million extension in March 2023. The Oakland Athletics also extended left fielder Tyler Soderstrom for seven years at $86 million, with potential escalators bringing the total to $131 million. Ronald Acuña Jr.’s eight-year, $100 million extension with the Atlanta Braves (signed in 2019) also set a precedent.
Players Who Opted for Free Agency
However, not all players are eager to commit long-term. Juan Soto, also represented by Boras, famously turned down multiple extension offers from the Washington Nationals, including a reported 15-year, $440 million deal in 2022. He was subsequently traded to the San Diego Padres and then to the New York Yankees, ultimately signing a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets. Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has also reportedly declined a long-term extension, with ongoing discussions expected.
Reds’ History with Extensions
The Reds aren’t strangers to proactive extensions. Before De La Cruz, Joey Votto signed two extensions before reaching free agency. Under former general manager Walt Jocketty, the team also extended Jay Bruce, Johnny Cueto, and Devin Mesoraco. More recently, right-hander Hunter Greene signed a six-year, $53 million deal with a club option, buying out two years of free agency.
Krall confirmed that the team has approached other young players about extensions, but none have materialized. “We’ve got a lot of guys on this club that are impact players that have a chance to be impact players,” Krall stated. “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.”
Source: The Athletic
