Reds face painful Elly De La Cruz reality after Joey Votto's contract prediction

Future Hall of Famer Joey Votto has remained an active presence in the Cincinnati Reds community. He donated a custom clock that sits outside Great American Ball Park prior to the start of the season, and is known to frequently get into good-natured conversations with fans on social media.

Votto recently responded to a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) and attempted to forecast Elly De La Cruz's future contract. The six-time All-Star and former NL MVP believes De La Cruz's next contract will be a 12-year deal worth $700 million. That comes out to $58 million per season and would run through 2042.

Votto noted De La Cruz's age when he'll reach free agency (28 years old), his arm and range at shortstop, and his previous seasons of 5-6 Wins Above Replacement as the biggest determining factors in his prognostication. By Votto's calculations, De La Cruz is approaching an MVP-level, something that could push a future contract into otherworldly territory.

Elly De La Cruz's next contract will be too expensive for Reds

There are only two players in Major League Baseball history who have signed contracts equal to or in excess of $700 million — Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. In fact, they're the only players who have even received contracts worth more than $500 million.

De La Cruz hasn't reached the level of Ohtani and Soto (yet). He's an excellent player, and a lock to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases every year. But there's a gap between De La Cruz's sky-high potential and the actual on-field production. With the impending lockout on the horizon — and a possible salary cap and floor — it's hard to see De La Cruz commanding an Ohtani- or Soto-level contract.

Votto's 10-year, $225 million extension remains the largest contract in Reds history, and De La Cruz already rejected a deal larger than that. Whatever the final number is, it's almost certainly one the Reds won't be willing to pay.

That doesn't mean the Reds need to trade De La Cruz, but it remains a possibility. Losing a player of his caliber for little more than draft compensation after he reaches free agency following the 2029 season would seem like a mistake, but trading him before he reaches that point would absolutely crush fan morale.

The Reds front office doesn't have to worry about this now, but his upcoming trip through the arbitration process is a reminder of what lies ahead.

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