Skip to main content
Join Now

Elly De La Cruz declined Reds’ record-setting contract offer

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs01/17/26grant_grubbs_

Last spring, the Cincinnati Reds offered star shortstop Elly De La Cruz a long-term contract extension that would’ve made him the highest-paid player in franchise history, per The Athletic. Currently, Joey Votto owns that tile for signing a 10-year, $225 million contract extension in 2012.

De La Cruz has been playing for the Reds since 2023 when he was promoted to the major leagues. He’s earned All-Star honors the past two seasons and was the MLB‘s stolen base leader in 2024. At only 24 years old, De La Cruz is one of the biggest stars in the league.

Last year, De La Cruz was a cover athlete on MLB The Show 25, becoming the first Reds player ever to be a cover athlete for the beloved video game series. De La Cruz finished the 2025 season with a .282 batting average, 22 home runs and 86 RBI. He stole 37 bases, a far cry from his 67 stolen bases the previous season.

When De La Cruz was offered the enormous contract last spring, he reportedly said, “I let my agent take care of all of that.” While some fans may criticize De La Cruz for passing up on such a lucrative payday, history has shown patience can pay dividends.

Juan Soto turned down numerous offers, including a reported $440 million deal from the Washington Nationals, before signing a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets last offseason. Perhaps De La Cruz is hoping for a similar result down the line.

Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean Elly De La Cruz is looking for a way out of Cincinnati. De La Cruz praised the city and its fans in a conversation with Cincinnati Magazine last year.

“The way the fans back you up on the baseball field, that’s been fun,” De La Cruz said. “They cheer for you. I really, really appreciate the old Cincinnati teams. [Larkin and Davis] have both always been people who back me up. Not only during the season, but in the offseason as well. They always give me advice. They care about me.

“… I’m going to tell you something: I don’t think about the future,” he says. “I don’t keep thinking about what’s going to happen. Am I going to be this or that? I prefer today. I live in today. I live day by day. I don’t think about those things.”