Reds' dreams of Elly De La Cruz extension just died following Scott Boras' comments

Say goodbye to Elly De La Cruz, folks. Well, not right now. You've got about five years. But enjoy the ride while it lasts, because after that he's as good as gone. There've been no talks of a potential contract extension between De La Cruz and Cincinnati Reds, and with Scott Boras representing the superstar shortstop, there never will be.

Boras was feeling his oats this week. After a disastrous showcasing of his clients last offseason, the super agent got his mojo back. Several Boras clients were handsomely rewarded this winter, but none of them moreso that Juan Soto. The outfielder took home an absurd 15-year, $765 million contract from the New York Mets just before the MLB Winter Meetings began earlier this week.

During a media scrum on Wednesday, Boras was asked about superstar players waiting until free agency rather than signing a long-term extension with their current team. Of course Boras has always subscribed to the idea that talented players should forgo a lucrative extension early in their career in order to get a HUGE pay day down the road. That's exactly what happened with Soto who previously turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract with the Washington Nationals.

Reds' dreams of Elly De La Cruz extension just died following Scott Boras' comments

The specific line of questioning that Boras was speaking to on Wednesday had to do with Baltimore Orioles star infielder Gunnar Henderson. Much like De La Cruz, Henderson is currently pre-arbitration eligible and has yet to reach a contract extension with the O's. Bobby Witt Jr. didi the opposite, signing an 11-year extension with the Kansas City Royals before the start of the 2024 season.

Boras admitted that there are instances when some players benefit from agreeing to a contract extension, but actions speak louder than words, and more times than not, Boras has advised his clients to test the free agent waters when the time comes.

De La Cruz, while not yet at that elite level, is trending in that direction. De La Cruz won't reach free agency until after the 2029 season, so the Reds have a five-year win to surround their young shortstop with as much talent as possible and put forth a championship-caliber contender.

The Reds already did the hard part — they found a superstar player. Adding future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona to lead the charge will certainly help as well. But now the Reds' front office needs to push all their chips into the middle of the table and assemble the type of roster that can bring winning baseball back to the city of Cincinnati. The window won't be open forever.

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