The Cincinnati Reds have a superstar in Elly De La Cruz. He broke out last year after a mid-season call-up and his first full season has put him in exclusive territory. De la Cruz picked up his 60th stolen base and 22nd home run in Wednesday's win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He spoke with ESPN about being a part of the exclusive 20/60 group after the game.
“It means a lot,” De La Cruz said. “That's why I'm working in the offseason. I feel so proud and so happy.”
The club features Rickey Henderson, fellow Reds Joe Morgan and Eric Davis, and Ronald Acuña Jr. At 22 years old, De La Cruz is the youngest player to ever join this group. He has made an impression on his teammates, including catcher Tyler Stephenson who also spoke with ESPN, saying “It's unbelievable what he can do day in and day out.”
While De La Cruz has been excellent this season, the Reds have not had a successful year. They enter Thursday's action with a 62-65 record, five-and-a-half games out of the final Wild Card spot. Fangraphs gives them just a 1.4% chance of making the playoffs. The rest of their highly-touted prospects have suffered injuries this season and the team has suffered because of it.
The Reds do not have a history of giving out big-money contracts. With the recent deals signed by Bobby Witt Jr. and Wander Franco, it's clear that De La Cruz will command a massive salary. What must the Reds do to take advantage of his greatness and ensure he stays a Red?
Future of Elly De La Cruz and the Cincinnati Reds
The Reds' playoff chances do not just lie with Elly De La Cruz. Hunter Greene has been excellent as their top starting pitcher this year, Stephenson has been great behind the plate and at the dish, and Jonathan India has continued to hit from the second base position. They have the core around De La Cruz to be a playoff team.
Injuries killed the Reds this season. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, TJ Friedl, and Jeimer Candelario have all spent time on the injured list while Noelvi Marte was suspended for the first half of the season after he was caught doing PEDs. The Reds must ensure that all of these players are healthy and available for the beginning of 2025.
The Reds have a five-year window to get into the playoffs and win a championship. De La Cruz is under team control until 2029. If he does not sign a long-term extension before then, he will continue to increase his value. If these prospects all hit and they make smart veteran additions each off-season, they can make a run at the National League.
The Cincinnati fans do not deserve to have that kind of thought process, however. Ownership must step up and extend De La Cruz for as long as possible this off-season. Having a season like the Royals are right now starts with ensuring that the face of the franchise is around long term. De La Cruz is one of the faces of baseball and the Reds should do everything they can to keep him around.
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