Overview
- The Reds offered De La Cruz a contract last spring that would have surpassed Joey Votto’s 10-year, $225 million franchise record, according to The Athletic.
- President of baseball operations Nick Krall said the proposal would have made De La Cruz the highest-paid Red ever.
- De La Cruz declined the offer and said he left contract matters to his agent, Scott Boras.
- Boras is known for steering clients to free agency to maximize market value, influencing expectations around De La Cruz’s timeline.
- The 24-year-old has played 420 MLB games with 60 home runs, 139 steals and a .773 OPS, reinforcing his appeal as a long-term star.