Why the Reds Should Hold Off on Trading Elly De La Cruz

The Cincinnati Reds have a decision to make about Elly De La Cruz.

And a growing number of fans think they already know the answer: trade him now, get a massive haul, and rebuild.

But according to a detailed report from Sports Illustrated, that might be the wrong move.

The argument for waiting is rooted in one simple number: 2030.

That is the year the Reds still control De La Cruz under team control.

He is not a free agent after this season.

He is not even a free agent after next season.

The Reds have him locked in for four more years, at minimum.

So the question becomes: why rush?

De La Cruz just finished a 2026 season that earned him a Silver Slugger nomination.

He hit .283 with a .365 on-base percentage and a .515 slugging percentage.

He launched 30 home runs and drove in 79 runs over 143 games.

He is one of the most electrifying players in baseball, with speed, power, and a cannon arm from shortstop.

And he is only 24 years old.

The Reds' offense ranked among the weakest in baseball this year.

Yet De La Cruz still put up those numbers.

Imagine what he could do if the lineup around him improves.

The argument for trading him now is based on a fear: that he will not re-sign when he hits free agency.

That is a real concern.

Cincinnati is a small-market team.

They have lost star players before.

But here is the counter-argument: why not get the best years out of him first?

If the Reds trade him now, they are trading away the player who could be the centerpiece of a winning 2027 team.

And 2027 is not that far away.

It is next season.

If the Reds want any chance of being competitive in 2027, they need Elly on the roster.

That is not an opinion.

That is a mathematical reality, given the current state of the roster.

The depth behind him at shortstop is not ready.

Edwin Arroyo got a call-up this year when De La Cruz went on the injured list.

In 160 plate appearances, Arroyo posted a .549 OPS.

That is not a replacement-level performance.

That is well below it.

Matt McLain is naturally a shortstop, but he has settled in as the Reds' everyday second baseman.

He and De La Cruz have formed a solid double-play duo.

But since McLain's shoulder injury in 2024, his bat has struggled over the last two seasons.

Noelvi Marte has been moved to right field.

He has shown flashes of talent, but not enough to inspire confidence as a major league regular.

The Reds have drafted shortstops with their first-round picks in the last two MLB Drafts.

Steele Hall and Justin LeBron both have promise.

But both are currently playing in Single-A.

Tyson Lewis, Eric Becker, and Liberts Aponte also identify as shortstops in the system.

None of them are close to the majors.

That means if the Reds trade De La Cruz today, they are not just losing a superstar.

They are creating a hole that no one in the organization is ready to fill.

The trade market for De La Cruz would be enormous.

Teams like the Boston Red Sox have been mentioned in rumors.

One proposal from WCNC described a "blockbuster" deal that would send De La Cruz to Boston.

But getting a haul of prospects is only valuable if those prospects pan out.

And the Reds have been down that road before.

They traded away stars in the past, got prospects, and watched those prospects fail to develop.

The result was years of losing.

Now, with De La Cruz, they have a homegrown star in his prime.

Why give that up before you have to?

The FanGraphs analysis of this offseason's trade market adds another layer.

Shortstop is thin in free agency this winter.

Mauricio Dubón and J.P. Crawford are the best available.

Both are useful players.

Neither is a building block.

That means any team looking for a shortstop will turn to the trade market.

And the two most interesting names are Gunnar Henderson of the Orioles and Elly De La Cruz of the Reds.

Henderson has seen his production decline over the last two seasons due to shoulder and wrist injuries.

His home run total dropped from 37 in 2024 to 17 in 2025 and 24 in 2026.

His slugging percentage fell from .529 to .420.

That makes De La Cruz the more valuable trade chip.

His numbers are trending up, not down.

And his combination of power and speed is rare.

He stole 67 bases in 2024 and followed it up with another strong running season in 2025.

He is the kind of player who can change a game by himself.

The Reds also have another Silver Slugger finalist in Sal Stewart.

Stewart hit 32 home runs and drove in 111 runs this season.

He is listed in the utility category for the award.

Having two Silver Slugger finalists on the same team is a sign of offensive talent.

Even if the team as a whole struggled.

De La Cruz is competing for the National League shortstop Silver Slugger against CJ Abrams and Otto Lopez.

Abrams hit 33 home runs and drove in 106 runs.

That gives him an edge in raw power production.

But De La Cruz's all-around game is more complete.

The winners will be announced on November 17, 2026.

That is just days away from today, November 6, 2026.

If De La Cruz wins the award, his trade value only goes up.

But again, that is an argument for keeping him, not trading him.

The Reds' front office has to weigh the risk of losing him for nothing in free agency against the reward of competing with him for the next four years.

That is a real calculation.