Elly De La Cruz finally has competition at shortstop after Reds' latest roster move

The MLB offseason is moving right along, and this week, teams had to decide which of their Rule 5 eligible prospects needed to be added to the 40-man roster. The Cincinnati Reds had already protected right-hander Jose Franco last week after selecting his contract from Triple-A Louisville, and on Tuesday, added shortstop Edwin Arroyo.

The Reds will likely select the contract of outfield prospect Hector Rodriguez too, but Arroyo will easily the biggest (and most recognizable) name among those added to the 40-man roster. He was traded to the Reds from the Seattle Mariners in 2022 as part of the Luis Castillo deal, and has been climbing the Minor League ladder for the past few seasons.

Arroyo missed all of the 2024 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, and made his return to the field this past year. After a slow start, the young infielder picked it up during the second-half of his 2025 campaign and hit .292/.350/.397 from July 1 through the end of the season. Arroyo is glove-first shortstop, and could give Elly De La Cruz a run for his money at shortstop this spring.

Elly De La Cruz finally has competition at shortstop after Reds add Edwin Arroyo to the 40-man roster

Obviously Arroyo is not going to supplant De La Cruz in the Reds' starting lineup. The two-time All-Star is Cincinnati's best player, and much of team's hopes of returning to the playoffs in 2026 rest on De La Cruz's shoulders.

There's been a lot of chatter, however, about De La Cruz's defense at shortstop. The Reds' superstar led the league in errors last season — an unfortunate feat he's now managed to pull off two years in a row. While De La Cruz can make the spectacular play look routine, he sometimes struggles to make the routine play at all. In total, he's committed 55 errors at shortstop over the past two seasons.

Arroyo, on the other hand, is arguably the best defender in the entire Reds' organization. Given Cincinnati's emphasis on defense over the past year, it wouldn't be surprising to see Arroyo eventually push De La Cruz off the infield dirt and onto the outfield grass — a move many Reds fans have been advocating for since his debut.

Nevertheless, the Reds are committed to De La Cruz playing shortstop heading into the 2026 season. In all likelihood, Arroyo will begin the year at Triple-A Louisville, and if he continues to find success in the minors, look for him to make his MLB debut sometime midway through next season. Where he fits in the Reds' longterm plans, however, is yet to be determined.