Reds' De La Cruz rejected extension worth more than $225M
Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said All-Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz turned down a contract extension last spring that would've surpassed Joey Votto's club-record 10-year, $225-million deal inked in April 2012.
"We made Elly an offer that would've made him the highest-paid Red ever," Krall said Friday, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. "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."
De La Cruz isn't arbitration-eligible until 2027 and can potentially test free agency following the 2029 season.
"I let my agent (Scott Boras) take care of all of that," De La Cruz said when asked about the contract offer.
The 24-year-old recorded 22 homers with 86 RBIs, 37 stolen bases, and a .777 OPS over 162 games last season. He went deep 25 times with an MLB-best 67 steals, 119 wRC+, and 6.6 fWAR across 160 contests in 2024 prior to rejecting the proposed contract.
De La Cruz regressed in 2025 but still finished in the 84th percentile in bat speed, 93rd in arm strength, and 91st in sprint speed.
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