Terry Francona may have quietly revealed the Reds' biggest offseason need

One of the bolder moves Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona has made this year was plugging Elly De La Cruz into the leadoff spot. While it was born out of necessity, it seemed to be a catalyst that might have gotten the Reds' season back on track.

After a dreadful June in which Cincinnati went 9-17, the club rebounded to post a 13-12 record in July, with the change in fortunes coinciding with De La Cruz ascending to No. 1 in the batting order. For his part, the 24-year-old superstar got red hot at the time of the change, further solidifying the logic behind the move.

However, as August rolled around, De La Cruz went ice cold. He's hitting just .149/.247/.254 this month. The Reds' outlook has once again begun to sink as a result. And with that, we've learned that Francona actually isn't the biggest fan of De La Cruz batting leadoff.

“Truthfully, I’d prefer him not to be (hitting leadoff),” Francona said. “I’m not taking a shot at him. He can hit anywhere he wants. He’s good. I don’t know that right now we have a guy who we feel like could do that every day. When him and Sal (Stewart) don’t get hits, it gets pretty glaring for us. That’s a big load for them. Not altogether fair.”

Francona isn't wrong about the burden that's been placed on De La Cruz and Sal Stewart, who are two of the only legitimate offensive performers in the lineup. The veteran manager's feelings on batting De La Cruz in the leadoff spot seem to indicate that the club will be targeting a more conventional, less power-focused leadoff man this winter.

Terry Francona might prefer a new leadoff man, but the Reds can't be too picky

If it's a traditional, contact-oriented, and speedy hitter that the Reds would prefer at the top of their lineup, they might have a hard time finding one on the free-agent market. The list of upcoming free agents features some impressive hitters, but many don't fit that bill, and even fewer will fit Cincinnati's budget.

The best fit here might be three-time batting champ Luis Arraez, who could replace the struggling Matt McLain as the team's second baseman. The problem is that, outside of exceptional bat-to-ball skills, Arraez doesn't possess the plate discipline and speed you'd like to see from a true old-school leadoff hitter.

At a certain point, Cincinnati might need to accept the fact that those skills are rare in today's game, and that there are benefits to simply keeping De La Cruz atop the order. To be fair, Francona acknowledged this reality.

"There are arguments to and against,” Francona said, regarding De La Cruz staying in the leadoff spot. “He’s going to hit more times (when he’s at the top of the order), but he might hit with less men on base.”

In reality, De La Cruz might possess more of the traditional leadoff man skills than one would think. The young switch hitter possesses the plate discipline that you love to see, and his 11.1% walk rate would be a career-high if it holds. He also has tremendous speed, and his 67-steal campaign in 2024 looks like something you'd have seen from a leadoff hitter 30 or 40 years ago.

The downside for De La Cruz is the strikeouts and how they limit his contact prowess. With that said, he still might be the team's best option, even after surveying the free-agent class.

The bottom line is that the Reds need to add offense in the worst way. Without many perfect fits, as well as a tight budget, it would behoove the club to get the best possible hitter it can afford and then try to fit the pieces together, rather than pigeonhole its offseason addition into a certain role because of Francona's preferences. Scoring more runs needs to be the name of the game, and they'll need flexibility to build a roster that can be more productive at the plate.

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