Dodgers fans lobbying for Elly De La Cruz trade don't understand Reds' reality

The Los Angeles Dodgers fanbase has become the new version of what New York Yankees fans used to be. The LA faithful are akin to those spoiled children being pushed up and down the toy isles by their helicopter parents, pointing and grabbing at every shiny object that seizes their attention.

Like the pampered Varuca Salt in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Dodgers fans have perfected the art of stomping their feet, taking their entitled desire to any social media platform that will listen to their ramblings, dropping a GIF of a five-tool player and then typing, "I want an Elly De La Cruz now, Daddy!"

If you doubt that, just take a look at what Doug McKain of 97.1 The Fan in LA posted to X (formerly Twitter) following the Cincinnati Reds' 3-2 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday night.

"Mookie has done an incredible job holding it down at shortstop these past few years. He'll be 34 next season, and it might be time to move him back to second base sooner than later. I'd trade the farm including Josue De Paula for Elly De La Cruz (3 arb years left)," McKain wrote on social media.

Newsflash, Doug, there isn't an organization throughout Major League Baseball that wouldn't sell the farm for De La Cruz. The Boston Red Sox even attempted to do so at last month's trade deadline. Boston reportedly had an offer on the table, but according to MassLive's Sean McAdams, the talks didn't go anywhere.

The Reds aren't trading Elly De La Cruz until they have no alternative

As McKain pointed out, De La Cruz has three years of arbitration eligibility remaining after the 2026 season. While De La Cruz will receive a nice pay day in 2027, it's still going to come in well below his market value. Reds fans should expect their superstar shortstop to take home somewhere between $6-$8 million through arbitration next season. If he was a free agent this winter, the number would be about eight times that.

De La Cruz is an MVP-caliber talent. If you pair that with the likely NL Rookie of the Year (Sal Stewart) and a bonafide ace like Chase Burns, you have the foundation of a competitive roster. The problem for the Reds, however, has been Nick Krall's inability to surround De La Cruz with the proper pieces.

The Reds need to jettison Krall this winter, hire a competent front office exec who knows how to evaluate talent, and spend enough resources to give De La Cruz and his teammates a chance to compete in 2027 and 2028. If the 2029 season rolls around and Cincinnati is no closer to a World Series championship, then perhaps it's time to start shopping De La Cruz.

The Detroit Tigers faced a similar dilemma this past season. There were trade rumblings surrounding two-time Cy Young Award-winner Tarik Skubal during spring training, but the Tigers stuck to their plan and went into the 2026 season with the intention to compete. Things didn't go their way, and Detroit still received a nice return on their investment at the trade deadline after flipping Skubal to the Dodgers.

That's the exact same path the Reds should (and probably will) take with De La Cruz. There's no real way to evaluate his worth on the trade market, and with the impending CBA negotiations, there might be an avenue that allows Cincinnati to sign their All-Star shortstop to a long-term deal.

These spoiled Dodgers fans need to be satisfied with their MVP-filled roster and back-to-back World Series championships. De La Cruz may eventually depart for the sunny shores of Southern California, but for now, he's a mainstay on the Cincinnati Reds roster.

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