Reds decision on Elly De La Cruz and the WBC feels smart, not selfish

As exciting as it is to see Elly De La Cruz on the baseball diamond, Cincinnati Reds fans can breathe a sigh of relief now that their star shortstop won't be playing in the World Baseball Classic.

If De La Cruz had his way, he’d be suiting up for the Dominican Republic in this year’s WBC, but the Reds and Elly made a joint decision — which was heavily influenced by his injury last season — to not play in the tournament. Considering the risks inherent at the WBC, the Reds and De La Cruz seem to have made a good, if difficult, choice.

As De La Cruz goes, so go the Reds. According to FanGraphs’ WAR projections, De La Cruz will make up more than a fourth of Cincinnati’s offensive fWAR in 2026. Playing without Elly moves the Reds from potential playoff contenders to cellar-dwellers.

De La Cruz is not just a generational talent; he could be the most important player in Reds history (as evidenced by the massive contract he turned down last spring). That’s too much for the Reds to risk on a tournament that is effectively meaningless in relation to the MLB season.

The Reds’ choice to hold Elly De La Cruz out of the World Baseball Classic protects Cincinnati and its superstar

De La Cruz’s precipitous decline after his hamstring injury reveals just how important he is to the franchise. His second-half OPS of .666 effectively took the most capable offensive weapon out of the picture for Cincinnati. The team managed a 33-32 record and squeezed into the postseason more due to a New York Mets collapse than the Reds’ own success.

The Reds haven’t done enough this offseason to shift the offensive weight off of De La Cruz’s shoulders. So, despite Elly’s professed desire to play, Cincinnati has made a shrewd move in keeping De La Cruz out of the tournament. No one wants to see Elly carried off the field a la Edwin Diaz in 2023.

For now, it seems like the Reds have swayed De La Cruz to their way of thinking. He still has aspirations to play in the WBC one day, and perhaps Cincinnati will build a more balanced lineup that supports that decision. Manager Terry Francona’s goal of giving Elly more days off during the season may be a harder battle to win.