Reds have one obvious answer to Yankees fans' Elly De La Cruz fantasy

The fellas over at Jomboy Media are dreaming big this summer, Reds fans. On Monday, after watching the Cincinnati Reds secure a much-needed series win over the New York Yankees this past weekend, the hosts of the Talkin' Yanks Podcast discussed the potential of Elly De La Cruz landing in the Bronx at this year's trade deadline.

Before we dive too deep into the utterly nonsensical notion of trading De La Cruz, it has to be stated that the Talkin' Yanks hosts admitted that this was a dream scenario and there haven't been any tangible rumors tying Elly to the Yankees.

With that little preface out of the way, I'll just say this; you have a better chance of seeing a donkey knitting a cashmere sweater than seeing the Reds trade De La Cruz this summer. In other words, it's not happening.

I'll even take it one step further. Not only is De La Cruz off the table this summer, but he'll be off the table next summer, and the summer after that. If Yankees fans have these deluded dreams of making a trade for the Reds' superstar, they're going to have to wait until July of 2029, and even that might be too soon.

The Reds aren't trading Elly De La Cruz to the Yankees — or anyone else for that matter

Reds fans are used to this type of balderdash from those entitled circus clowns up in the Northeast. The moment some small-market team has a breakout star, the big-market bullies think it's their just duty to rescue that player from the throes of second-run movies and Main Street shops that close at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

The reality, however, is much different than those fans (and the hosts of Talkin' Yanks) suppose. While this season hasn't worked out in the Reds' favor — not yet at least — De La Cruz is the face of franchise and is under team control through the 2029 season.

Furthermore, the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations could offer the Reds a leg up on the competition that they've never had before. Major League Baseball is pushing hard for salary cap (and floor) to be part of the upcoming CBA. While the MLBPA staunchly opposes such a change, if it passes, it could change the entire landscape of the sport and how teams spend money.

I'll give the guys over at Talkin' Yanks props for one thing; they at least understand how valuable De La Cruz would be on the trade market. Jimmy and Jake both agreed that the Yankees would have to sacrifice almost all of their top prospects (George Lombard Jr., Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez, and Ben Hess) in order to get a deal done.

But even that type of "Godfather Offer" wouldn't fly. The Reds have a small window for success, and the idea of trading De La Cruz — even if it would provide a franchise altering return — doesn't hold water.

What did the Washington Nationals get after trading Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres in 2022? They still haven't sniffed the postseason since that deal was made, and have traded away one of their top prizes from that swap (MacKenzie Gore) and are likely to do the same with another (C.J. Abrams) this summer.

Sorry, Yankees fans. But Elly De La Cruz is off limits, at least for a few more years.

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