Elly De La Cruz isn't the only Reds player who must be signed to a contract extension

Elly De La Cruz has become one of the most electrifying men in all of baseball. The Cincinnati Reds shortstop has used his prodigious power, extensive speed, and otherworldly athleticism to push himself into the conversation as one of the best players in Major League Baseball.

Reds fans are clamoring for Cincinnati's ownership group to make long-term commitment to De La Cruz over the offseason. While the 22-year-old is under team control for several more seasons, inking a player to De La Cruz to a contract extension while he's still pre-arbitration eligible might be the best Reds' best chance to retain their budding superstar over the long haul.

But De La Cruz isn't the only Reds' player who should offered a contract extension this winter. Catcher Tyler Stephenson has enjoyed a resurgence to the type of player the Cincinnati faithful saw back in 2021 and 2022, and it's a reminder that these types of players do not grow on trees.

Elly De La Cruz isn't the only Reds player who must be signed to a contract extension

Stephenson, a former first-round pick of the Reds back in 2015, took the long road to get the big leagues. Oftentimes, high school catchers take several years to develop, and the story was no different for Stephenson.

Stephenson was always seen as a hit-first catching prospect with a good eye at the plate. But after seeing a drop-off in stats following his 2017 campaign at Low-A to his performance at High-A in 2018, there were several Reds fans that began to wonder whether or not it would ever click for Stephenson. But his performance in the minor leagues in 2019, coupled with Stephenson's exploits in the Arizona Fall League later that year put those concerns to bed.

Stephenson burst onto the scene in 2020 and was here in stay in 2021. The Reds felt so comfortable with Stephenson behind the dish that they parted ways with Tucker Barnhart the following offseason. But an injury-riddled season in 2022 and a down-year in 2023 raised concerns once again. But after seeing how well Stephenson has rebounded in 2024, the Reds should look to extend the 27-year-old beyond his arbitration window.

The Reds need to offer Tyler Stephenson a contract extension this offseason

The Reds have Stephenson under team control through 2026 and are paying him a modest $2.52 million this season. After hitting a career-high in home runs and improving his defense and game-calling behind the plate, you can bet that number will at least double heading into 2025.

The Reds have no real successor sitting down in the minor leagues. Alfredo Duno is a highly-regarded prospect, but at just 18 years old and having been on the IL since late-May, who knows what his path to the major leagues might look like? Outside of Duno, there is no other catching prospect in the Reds' farm system ranked among their Top 30 according to MLB Pipeline. That's a problem.

With such a thin crop of young, top-flight catching prospects, the Reds need to invest in Stephenson. Whether it's a three, four, or even five-year contract extension, the Reds need to lock up Stephenson for several more seasons.

He's played in 100 contests so far this season, with 90 coming behind the dish. Stephenson is hitting .248/.327/.454 on the year, but since July 1st has a .261/.344/.559 slash line with nine home runs and 21 RBI. The Reds backstop has also been among the team's most vocal leaders in the clubhouse.

De La Cruz's extension should be priority No. 1 for the Reds' front office this offseason, but offering a contract extension to Stephenson should be right up there as well.

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