Inside The Reds

Reds Star Elly De La Cruz Turned Down a Franchise-Defining Contract Proposal

This is no surprise, but unfortunate for the Reds.
Ricky Logan|
Aug 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds infielder Elly De La Cruz (44) watches on from the batters box during the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images
Aug 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds infielder Elly De La Cruz (44) watches on from the batters box during the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

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Cincinnati Reds

CINCINNATI  – Reds superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz has turned down a contract extension that would've been the largest in franchise history.

The Reds offered the 24-year-old an extension that exceeds the Joey Votto contract extension of 10 years, $225 million in 2012 according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.

The two-time All-Star will become arbitration-eligible in 2027 and can become a free agent in 2029. 

“We made Elly an offer that would’ve made him the highest-paid Red ever,” Nick Krall said Friday. “That’s not where he is, and you respect that. It’s his career. You keep going and you keep working on what you can do today."

De La Cruz is represented by power agent Scott Boras.

"I let my agent take care of all of that,"  De La Cruz said at Redsfest on Friday. No details of a length or salary have been made public. 

This has been a major talking point ever since his debut in 2023, where he instantly became a star. He slashed .307/.358/.523 in his first month with the Reds. He hit three home runs, stole nine bases, and hit for the cycle. He only hit .191 with a .626 OPS after the All-Star break. 

He improved in 2024, hitting 25 home runs with an .810 OPS, with league-leading 67 stolen bases. He made the All-Star team for the first time and was looking to take the next step into superstardom for 2025. 

De La Cruz took that step to begin the 2025 season. He slashed .284/.359/.370 with 18 home runs, 25 stolen bases, and was making major strides limiting strikeouts and on defense. Unfortunately, a quad injury hampered the second half of the season. He hit just 19 extra-base hits with just 12 stolen bases to finish the season. 

If the Reds fail to extend him, the question has to be asked: How long until you have to make the trade and get the absolute highest value from him?

One thing is certain: The Reds plan on having De La Cruz on the roster for the entire 2026 season.

Check out the entire report here.

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Ricky Logan
RICKY LOGAN

Ricky Logan is a California native, originally from Yuba City, now living in the greater Cincinnati area with his wife and kids. He’s the co-host and producer of the Red Hot Reds Podcast on YouTube and other social platforms, where he brings commentary and passionate coverage of Cincinnati Reds baseball. He co-hosts the Chatterbox Reds Pregame Show for Chatterbox Sports on YouTube to give pregame analysis for upcoming games and has appeared on various Chatterbox Sports shows. Ricky also serves as an editor and writer for WeLikeSportzPC and recently joined the writing team at Chatterbox Sports covering Reds Minor League Baseball, continuing to grow his presence in the world of sports media.

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