Elly De La Cruz would benefit from being moved to the outfield

Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz is certainly one of the most exciting players in all of MLB. But one question remains: can he keep up the pace at the most demanding position on the baseball field, shortstop?

That's why Manfred analyst Jake Storiale believes De La Cruz should be moved to the outfield, just as Fernando Tatis Jr. was two years ago with the San Diego Padres.

In theory, it would make more sense to keep him at shortstop, but we could have said that about Fernando, and now he's become an elite player. I think there's a consensus among Reds fans that he might be better suited to the outfield.

It's unclear whether De La Cruz would adapt as well as Tatis Jr. if he became an outfielder, as Tatis Jr. won the Platinum Glove last year.

Elly De La Cruz would benefit by moving to the outfield pic.twitter.com/eoPVTcVFl2

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But the idea isn't crazy, especially since De La Cruz is open to a position change. In December 2023, the Reds were loaded with promising young infielders, and De La Cruz said he would play wherever the team needed him.

A move to the outfield could relieve De La Cruz of many of the defensive responsibilities associated with shortstop and give him more confidence when it comes time to step up to the plate. That's because the number six position player is the captain of the infield and has to be involved with every pitch, while in the outfield, it's much more about reaction and athleticism.

However, there is a slight caveat, according to Storiale.

The other aspect is: will his at-bats start to weigh on his mind more often if he goes through a bad streak? Because sometimes you're in the outfield and you think to yourself, ‘Okay, what's going on here?

With Terry Francona at the helm of the team, let's hope that the right decision will be made for De La Cruz's future.

This content was created with the help of AI.