Reds can't afford to ignore what Elly De La Cruz contract prediction just revealed

Cincinnati Reds fans have been spoiled, even with the club’s recent disappointments, by the honor of watching a once-in-a-generation talent every game. Elly De La Cruz is certainly one of the best players of his era, and his determination to put the Reds on his back for 162 games is inspirational (and perhaps personally costly).

However, those qualities could also make De La Cruz one of the highest paid players in the majors when he hits free agency in four years. The Reds need to make use of their superstar before his value exceeds their budget.

According to Bleacher Report, De La Cruz will easily be looking at a $250 million deal — or more if his defense improves — when he hits free agency after the 2029 season. There’s no way the Reds will rise to that amount as Joey Votto’s $225 million extension is the highest total value contract in franchise history. If the Reds can’t or won’t extend De La Cruz, the club needs to recognize that its window for contention has already begun.

Latest Elly De La Cruz's contract projection should press the Reds front office to act now

This has to be a club that is built around De La Cruz, and due to the youth of the position player prospects in the farm system, the front office needs to explore adding offense via trades or free agency this winter.

The Reds’ best power bat in the Minors, according to Fangraphs’ rankings, is Alfredo Duno, and the 19-year-old still has major questions to answer before climbing to the big leagues. Sal Stewart has earned his spot, and Héctor Rodríguez will likely follow him this year, but aside from those two, there simply aren’t enough internal options to take the pressure off of De La Cruz.

In 2025, the Reds scored 716 runs. De La Cruz accounted for 166 of them (either by scoring them himself or driving them in). That’s nearly a quarter of the team’s offense. Another proven bat could go a long way toward turning the Reds into legitimate contenders. They certainly have enough pitching to compete in the NL Central.

The time has come for the Reds to invest in the present version of their team. Virtually the entire lineup is locked up through 2028, and De La Cruz will be around for one season after that. Most of the pitchers haven’t even hit arbitration yet. Spend some money. Make some deals. Turn the Reds from the De La Cruz show to a balanced, productive team, or the opportunity just might pass the Reds by.