Reds, Elly De La Cruz extension gets murky update

In a little under two years, Cincinnati Reds superstar Elly De La Cruz has become one of the most recognizable names in all of MLB. While he has given the Reds a new breathe of life, a new contract extension for De La Cruz doesn’t seem to be coming into play immediately.

Past April, extension talks seem to fade amongst MLB teams, via Ken Rosenthal of Foul Territory. While he seems confident that Cincinnati has had conversations with De La Cruz, he doesn’t see a contract extension getting done anytime soon.

“The Reds are a team that have spent some money at times. But they don’t always do that. With an extension, it always takes both parties to be agreeable. I’m not sure where De La Cruz sees himself or where his agent sees him at this point in his career,” Rosenthal said. “I would expect those conversations – if they haven’t already – are going to take place.”

This wasn’t necessarily hard and fast reporting by Rosenthal, but more of him assessing the scene surrounding Cincinnati. The Reds certainly want to keep De La Cruz around long-term. But they’ll need to find a deal that works for both parties. No matter how good De La Cruz looks, that isn’t a deal that will happen overnight.

Working in the Reds’ favor is De La Cruz’s team control. He isn’t set to hit free agency until 2029, giving Cincy plenty of time to come up with a deal. But if the infielder keeps shining, a rise in pay will be warranted. A contract extension solves the issue for both sides, ensuring the Reds keep their superstar while De La Cruz gets paid.

But smack dab in the middle of the season, an extension talks are on the backburner. The Reds are reeling to start the year at 19-25, 7.5 games back of the first place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Before they sign Elly De La Cruz to a deal, Cincinnati is hoping he can turn their 2024 misfortune around.

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