The Reds Should Trade Elly De La Cruz, Says Joey Votto

The Cincinnati Reds will soon have a big decision to make regarding Elly De La Cruz. The team's star player is getting closer and closer to free agency.

As a reminder, he'll be eligible for free agency at the end of the 2029 season.

Rumor has it that De La Cruz intends to ask for a hefty sum on his next big contract. He has already turned down an offer of over $225 million (over 10 years) from the Reds, and it seems that the Scott Boras client is looking to sign for a hefty sum.

This means the Reds, who aren't in the habit of offering such contracts, might be forced to trade EDLC at some point. And Joey Votto, who has spoken out on the matter, said that's what he would do if he were in charge of the Reds.

He would aim to acquire as many prospects as possible in a trade for De La Cruz.

Votto, who is in a good position to speak on the matter, asserts that the Reds could hardly justify giving up such a significant portion of their payroll for a single player. This isn't necessarily realistic, considering it would prevent the club from building a solid 26-man roster.

The former Reds first baseman—who, incidentally, had signed a 10-year, $225 million deal with the club at the time—says he, too, should have been traded for the same reasons. He had no intention of signing at a discount in Cincinnati and believes the Reds should have sent him elsewhere to bolster their farm system.

Votto emphasizes that he holds EDLC in very high regard and considers him an excellent baseball player. That said, given the reality of the current market, the Reds can hardly justify such a contract due to their spending habits.

Perhaps a salary cap could change the dynamics of the situation… just as seeing the Reds become more open to spending more money to pay their players could help.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.