The Cincinnati Reds are a last place MLB club, completely devoid of any recent or generational success. They have no ready-made farm system, a bona fide ace whose elbow just gave out for the second time, and the worst hitting outfield in the sport. But get this: they also have perhaps the best shortstop in the game, Elly De La Cruz, who is just 24 years old.
The Reds Are a Walking, Talking Organizational Failure
Let’s be real, this Reds franchise is a mess. They just finished in last place, again, and the projections have them right back in the basement next year. Their ace, a guy they lucked into in the draft, is out for the entire upcoming season because his elbow blew out for the *second time*. That’s brutal. Then there’s the roster’s worst hitter, a player they actively traded viable pieces for just a year ago, in what has become one of the most embarrassing deals in recent memory. They even bailed out a divisional cellar-dweller to make that happen.
Oh, and their starting catcher just walked into free agency. They’re still somehow trusting a former first-round pick at second base who is three full years removed from shoulder surgery, a surgery that completely changed him as a player. Yet, they can’t seem to admit it. Top it all off with the worst hitting outfield in the entire sport. When you look at what they have, it’s not hard to see that this is a walking, talking organizational failure. It’s not the house’s fault; it’s the people in charge who let everything fall apart.
A 30/30 Shortstop Doesn’t Fix This (Yet)
Amidst all that chaos, there’s Elly De La Cruz. The guy is perhaps the best shortstop in the game, a true 30/30 player who oozes 40/70 upside. He’s just 24 years old, playing the toughest position on the infield, and he’s got a full decade of sustainable promise ahead of him. Front offices go entire careers without ever getting a player like this under their control. He’s one of the most singular, most dynamic players in sports, and he’s been cheap for three full years already. He’ll remain cheap for another three, especially when you compare it to the price of even an average free agent.
Major League Baseball’s contract system basically handed the Reds a cheat code with De La Cruz. You’d think it would be easy to build a competitive team around a guy like that. He plays the toughest position, hits in the most important part of the order day in, day out, and he’s still cheap! But despite all that, they’re still stuck in last place and projected to stay there. This kind of environment pushes free agents away. Seriously, who in their right mind would want to sign up for that?
Moving De La Cruz would be the ultimate signal that this franchise has no clue how to build a winner, even with a literal gold mine on their roster. What they do next with him, especially after the season they just had and with the future looking so bleak, will tell us everything about their direction for years to come.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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