Elly De La Cruz to Dodgers? Trade Rumors Heating Up Ahead of Free Agency

The Los Angeles Dodgers have long been lauded for hoarding a treasure trove of prospects.

Even with that being the case, the time has come for Andrew Friedman to either do his business or get off the proverbial pot. In this context, this includes actually giving some of these young players a chance to play prominent roles. Otherwise, Friedman might as well deal them for more proven commodities.

This is the question centered on Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz. He represents the modern day MLB superstar in the way he plays. De La Cruz is a high-octane athlete featuring speed and power. He also plays the game with visible joy and energy.

While he is the face of Cincinnati's franchise, the Reds are teetering on having to blow up the team with an extensive rebuild. There's not of a lot of talent on the roster. The Reds are seemingly years from being competitive.

With that in mind, it probably would behoove the Reds to look into dealing the 24-year-old for a host of young, controllable assets.

Former MLB front office executive Jim Bowden believes the Reds will make De La Cruz available in a possible deal.

"Absolutely, I do," Bowden said on Dmac and Reiter on 97.1 The Fan when asked if the Reds would consider trading De La Cruz this offseason.

"Does it make sense? Sure. For the Reds, what makes sense, like the Nationals with [James] Wood and [CJ] Abrams, they should be trying to sign these guys. But if you can't, don't let them get to free agency or a year from free agency. Trade them now while you can get a huge package and can get a competitive team. This kind of trade makes sense for the Reds and the Dodgers. The Dodgers need to be thinking about their next superstar player."

Here is where @JimBowdenGM said this pic.twitter.com/B51RlzJgzj https://t.co/348QASDA7m
— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) October 31, 2026

The Dodgers need a reboot — and that's no secret considering how old the team looked this past season. De La Cruz would represent the next wave of star power with Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and (to an extent) Shohei Ohtani aging out of their respective primes.

He's under contract until 2030 which is another attractive element to this entire situation. The Dodgers are flush with prospect capital, particularly in the outfield. There's a world where LA can cobble together a combination of prospects along with proven players on the MLB level to get a deal done.

What Could the Dodgers Give Up for Elly De La Cruz?

Justin Wrobleski and/or Emmet Sheehan would likely fit the mold as the archetype of player that would appeal to Cincinnati. The same frankly could be said for some of the higher-ceiling players within the farm system. Mike Sirota, Josue De Paula, Eduardo Quintero and Christian Zazueta come to mind instantly.

This could be the time for the Dodgers to strike. A player this talented (and young) does not come available often. De La Cruz is not a player without faults. He strikes out a lot and does have the propensity to commit errors at a high clip.

At the same time, the ceiling for this player is that of a top-three talent in the sport.

If you're Friedman, this is a gamble worth taking.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on X/Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google