Reds might be forced into a painful Elly De La Cruz decision soon

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz committed his league-leading 20th error of the season on a routine ground ball during the sixth inning of Monday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and it cost his team dearly.

With two outs and the bases loaded, a grounder off the bat of Dodgers' outfielder Andy Pages rolled right between De La Cruz's legs and into left field. The miscue allowed Los Angeles to plate two additional runs and increase their lead to 5-0.

This is nothing new for De La Cruz. His defensive mistakes have become so commonplace this season that fans on social media have given him the nickname Error De La Cruz. Not only has De La Cruz committed a ridiculous number of errors this season, but far too often, they seem to occur at critical moments during the game.

Reds might be forced into a painful Elly De La Cruz decision soon

Reds fans have been clamoring for years to see De La Cruz moved to the outfield, and they may finally get their wish. De La Cruz leads all of Major League Baseball in errors, and he's also seen a downturn in the advanced metrics. He's worth -4 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -2 outs above average (OAA) this season.

De La Cruz is one of the fastest players in the sport and possesses a plus-arm. That combination could help him become a dynamite defender on the outfield grass much like San Diego Padres' right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. — who was once a shortstop.

With the Reds having already committed to playing Noelvi Marte in right field, the only logical spot to deploy De La Cruz would be in center. That spot is currently occupied by TJ Friedl, so that could be a problem. Friedl will be owed a raise through arbitration this winter and has endured an up-and-down season, but he's also a team leader and it's tough to see the Reds trading him during the offseason.

After swinging a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates for Ke'Bryan Hayes at the July 31 trade deadline, the idea of moving De La Cruz a few steps to his right has all but expired. Hayes is Gold Glove defender, and Cincinnati has no intention of replacing him at third base with De La Cruz.

There's really not a great answer to this problem. Even if the Reds were able to find a spot for De La Cruz in the outfield, who takes over at shortstop? Edwin Arroyo certainly looks the part defensively, but he's spent all season with the Chattanooga Lookouts and has yet to even get his feet wet in Triple-A.

De La Cruz is a phenomenal talent, and has a knack for making the spectacular defensive play look easy. He also makes routine plays look far more difficult than they should be, and it's an area of his game that must improve heading into next season.

The Reds have a dilemma on their hands heading into the offseason. Cincinnati doesn't want to move De La Cruz off shortstop next season, but they may not have a choice.

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