The Los Angeles Dodgers adding a superstar in Elly De La Cruz seems like a pipe dream, but as time passes and his free-agent clock ticks, the odds of him being gettable increase.
Elly De La Cruz’s trade market
De La Cruz is an interesting case, given that he is a superstar in a small market like the Cincinnati Reds.
Since he is entering his first year of arbitration, he seems like a lock to stay on the team for at least two more years before the team considers trading him if a contract extension does not develop.
However, as time ticks on and contract extension talks fail to materialize, De La Cruz’s future seems to move further away from Cincinnati.
As the Dodgers sit with an aging roster that could use a young cornerstone like De La Cruz, and as urgency may rise on the Reds’ end, former MLB general manager Jim Bowden thinks a trade is possible.
“Absolutely I do… This kind of trade makes sense for both the Dodgers and teams like the Reds. The Dodgers need to be thinking about their next young superstar player,” Bowden told Doug McKain on DMac & Reiter.
“And look, I think DePaula can be that offensively. But when you start talking about guys like De La Cruz and Wood, they’re even a level ahead of DePaula.”
At this point, there are no firm indicators that De La Cruz is actively being shopped on the market, but if the Dodgers present an aggressive offer, Cincinnati would seriously consider it.
How great is De La Cruz?
At 24, De La Cruz just put up a stellar season at shortstop, posting a 5.6 bWAR while slashing .283/.365/.515.
He has improved his shortstop defense to an elite level, posting a 92nd-percentile outs-above-average mark and a rocket of an arm.
He crushes the ball, makes a ton of hard contact, and walks a fair amount, all while being the Reds’ focal point.
His game is still maturing, and as he gets older and stronger, he should keep adding power.
Additionally, he is one of the fastest players in baseball, adding an electric speed to the Dodgers that they lack.
For all intents and purposes, De La Cruz is a perfect addition for the Dodgers, but his elite status and fit will make him expensive.
9 Responses
Do it now at all costs with one exception “The Kid” Josue DePaula can’t be in that deal, Pages and anyone else can go in fair value, Elly and DePaula would be crazy box office future of the Dodgers, 5 million fans might crash Chavez Ravine if they pull off that trade!!
DePaula would have to be in that deal. If he’s not included, Rob Manfred should step in and disallow the trade.
He ?????every box!
Those are suppose to be checks…site swapped out for question marks
He will add the spark that we need. Get him!!
This needs to stop. Some C lister on social media who was hungry for clicks started this Elly thing. It was made-up out of nothing. Each person who reposts it adds some other fictional information to it. Why would the Reds want to trade him, and what could the Dodgers possibly offer to make both teams better?
Bowden commented the other day listing eight of the team’s prospects as a total for a trade. Is he really worth that many especially when they need new blood for the team?
I have been a Dodger fan for many decades and followed the game closely. He is on the verge of superstardom!
So you move Mookie to 2B?