Reds treated Red Sox's Elly De La Cruz trade talks exactly how you'd expect

If you were to make a list of Cincinnati Reds who are untouchable at this year's trade deadline, Elly De La Cruz would be somewhere near the top. But apparently the Boston Red Sox didn't get the memo.

According to Sean McAdam of MassLive, the Red Sox had discussions with the Reds about De La Cruz, but the two sides couldn’t match up on a deal. McAdam reported that the Reds were not inclined to move their superstar shortstop, but were at least willing to listen to Boston's pitch.

Let me save the Red Sox (and every other team throughout Major League Baseball) a lot of trouble — the Reds aren't going to trade De La Cruz while he's still pre-arbitration eligible. Moreover, they're unlikely to even consider trading him until he's one year away from free agency, which won't happen until after the 2028 season.

Reds rumors connecting Elly De La Cruz to the Red Sox are a bit overblown

To be fair, it's not as if the Red Sox haven't made it known that they're looking to find a shortstop before Monday's deadline. So you can't blame Craig Breslow and the Red Sox's brass braintrust for trying land one of the biggest stars in the game.

But the type of offer it would take to try De La Cruz away from Cincinnati might not even exist at this time. When's the last time a superstar of his caliber was moved at the trade deadline with three-and-a-half years of team control remaining? The answer is simple. It hasn't happened.

The last time such a deal was made came back in 2022 when the Washington Nationals shipped Juan Soto and Josh Bell to the San Diego Padres for a massive trade package that included James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, Luke Voit, Robert Hassell III, and CJ Abrams.

McAdam's sources claim the offer Boston made was comprised of mostly prospects. The Reds, looking to compete in 2027, were interested in young Major League talent. Boston was unwilling to surrender players from their Major League roster, and so, the two sides reportedly reached an impasse.

If the Reds don't turn things around next season, they're bound to receive more inquiries. Rather than trade the reigning AL Cy Young Award-winner, the Detroit Tigers hung onto Tarik Skubal before the start of the season. Now, he's likely to be the biggest name to move at this year's deadline. If the Reds aren't careful, they'll be faced the same situation in three years.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow