Elly De La Cruz would solve several of the Dodgers’ biggest long-term questions almost immediately.
He is 24 years old, plays shortstop, brings elite speed and is coming off the best offensive season of his career.
He would give Los Angeles a young superstar capable of eventually becoming the face of the organization as its current veteran core ages.
The Dodgers should absolutely call Cincinnati.
Convincing the Reds to trade him is another matter.
Former general manager Jim Bowden recently argued on 97.1 The Fan’s D-Mac and Reiter Show that a deal could make sense for both organizations.
Bowden believes Cincinnati should consider trading De La Cruz if it does not expect to sign him to a long-term extension. Moving him with three seasons of club control remaining would allow the Reds to demand an enormous return rather than waiting until he approaches free agency.
For the Dodgers, Bowden sees De La Cruz as the kind of young superstar they need to begin building their next core around.
It is an interesting argument.
It is not evidence that a trade is imminent.
De La Cruz Has Developed Into A Complete Superstar
De La Cruz entered the majors as one of baseball’s most exciting young players.
He has since developed into one of its most productive.
In 2026, De La Cruz hit .283/.365/.515 with 30 home runs, 79 RBIs, 99 runs and 30 stolen bases. He finished with an .880 OPS, a 145 OPS+ and 5.6 WAR.
He also improved defensively after an uneven 2025 season, giving Cincinnati above-average production at one of baseball’s most important positions.
Those numbers were not an isolated breakout from an unknown player.
Across his first four major-league seasons, De La Cruz has produced a .262/.338/.463 slash line with 90 home runs, 285 RBIs, 373 runs and 169 stolen bases. Baseball-Reference.com
In 2024, he became the youngest player in MLB history to record at least 20 home runs and 60 stolen bases in one season.
De La Cruz still strikes out frequently and has experienced stretches of inconsistency, but his combination of power, speed, defensive range and arm strength is nearly impossible to find.
That is why Cincinnati would not move him for a normal prospect package.
The Contract Situation Creates The Conversation
The trade speculation is rooted in Cincinnati’s unsuccessful attempt to sign De La Cruz beyond his current club control.
The Reds presented him with an extension during Spring Training in 2025 that would have exceeded Joey Votto’s franchise-record 10-year, $225 million contract.
De La Cruz declined it.
Cincinnati indicated in January that the sides had not resumed extension discussions. De La Cruz is now entering arbitration and can become a free agent after the 2029 season. mlb.com
His decision to reject the extension does not necessarily mean he has decided to leave Cincinnati.
It does mean the Reds must consider how realistic it will be to retain him once he reaches the open market.
De La Cruz is represented by Scott Boras and could eventually command a contract well beyond anything Cincinnati has previously offered.
That is the basis of Bowden’s argument.
If the Reds believe they cannot extend De La Cruz, trading him now would allow them to market three full years of club control and ask for one of the largest returns in recent baseball history.
Waiting another year would reduce the amount of control attached to him.
Waiting until he is one season from free agency would reduce their leverage even further.
Cincinnati Still Has Little Reason To Act Now
The Reds finished 75-87 in 2026 and last in the National League Central. They have legitimate questions about whether the current roster can become a contender before De La Cruz reaches free agency. Baseball-Reference.com
But three years is still a long time.
De La Cruz is affordable, productive and entering what should be the prime of his career. He sells tickets, gives Cincinnati a recognizable star and represents the best foundation the organization has for returning to contention.
Trading him would also create a nearly impossible public-relations challenge.
The Reds would be telling their fans that even when they develop a genuine superstar, they cannot or will not build around him.
There is no guarantee that a package of prospects would eventually produce one player as valuable as De La Cruz.
Cincinnati has already seen the uncertainty involved in trading established pitching for young talent. Prospects can carry tremendous value without ever becoming dependable major leaguers.
The Reds reportedly rejected a strong offer from Boston for De La Cruz before the 2026 trade deadline. That suggests Cincinnati was not prepared to move him merely because another organization presented an attractive package. si.com
There is also no confirmed report that the Reds are currently shopping him.
Bowden said he believes they should seriously consider it.
That is analysis, not a transaction update.
Why The Dodgers Would Be Interested
The Dodgers’ interest would be easy to understand if De La Cruz became available.
Freeman is nearing the end of his contract. Betts is entering his mid-30s. Ohtani will be 32 next season. Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernández are also part of an aging group.
Los Angeles needs to begin developing or acquiring the players who will carry the organization after that core changes.
De La Cruz would immediately become that player.
He could take over shortstop and give the Dodgers the option to move Betts back to second base or use him more flexibly as he gets older.
De La Cruz would also add an element the current lineup lacks.
The Dodgers have power and on-base ability, but they do not possess another everyday player who can create pressure with his speed the way De La Cruz can.
Pairing him with Ohtani, Betts and De Paula would give Los Angeles a lineup capable of producing in several different ways.
More importantly, De La Cruz would not be another short-term veteran addition.
He would represent the beginning of the next Dodgers core.
The Price Would Be Enormous
Cincinnati would have no reason to accept a package built around secondary prospects.
A realistic negotiation would likely require multiple premium young players, including at least one player capable of helping the Reds immediately.
The Dodgers still possess one of baseball’s deepest systems, even after trading Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith for Tarik Skubal.
De Paula, Mike Sirota, Eduardo Quintero, Emil Morales, Christian Zazueta and James Tibbs III give Los Angeles several young players Cincinnati could find interesting. Andy Pages, Emmet Sheehan and other controllable major leaguers could also become part of the conversation.
That does not mean the Reds would accept any particular combination of those players.
It illustrates how painful the asking price could become.
De Paula would almost certainly be one of the first names Cincinnati asks about. He is the Dodgers’ top young hitter and has the kind of offensive ceiling the Reds would need to justify moving De La Cruz.
The Dodgers would then face a difficult question.
Should they trade the player they hope becomes their next superstar for one who has already established himself as one?
Would We Trade De Paula For De La Cruz?
The Dodgers should be willing to trade significant young talent for De La Cruz.
Prospects are valuable because of what they might eventually become. De La Cruz is already a 24-year-old star at a premium position with three years of club control.
That is the kind of player worth sacrificing future value to acquire.
But Los Angeles should not empty the top of its system.
A package containing De Paula, multiple additional top prospects and established young major leaguers could damage the exact transition the Dodgers are trying to make.
If Cincinnati demanded De Paula as the centerpiece, the Dodgers should listen. They should not automatically agree.
De Paula is younger, carries additional club control and showed during his brief major-league opportunity that his bat may be ready sooner than expected. Trading him would remove the organization’s clearest internal bridge toward its next generation.
The ideal Dodgers offer would be built around several other high-end prospects and a controllable major-league player.
Cincinnati may have no interest without De Paula.
That could end the conversation quickly.
Why Would Cincinnati Say Yes?
The Reds would have three reasons to consider a trade:
They believe an extension with De La Cruz is impossible.
They do not expect to contend during his remaining club control.
The Dodgers offer a historic package capable of rebuilding several areas of the organization.
All three conditions would likely need to exist.
Cincinnati does not need to trade De La Cruz simply because he rejected one extension offer.
The Reds could keep him through 2027, attempt to build a contender around him and revisit the decision later with two years of club control remaining.
That path carries risk because his trade value would decline as free agency approaches.
It also gives Cincinnati another season with one of baseball’s most exciting players.
The Dodgers Should Call—But Remain Skeptical
Bowden is right about one part of the equation.
The Dodgers need to think about their next young superstar.
De La Cruz is exactly the kind of player they should pursue if Cincinnati makes him available.
But the idea makes far more sense for Los Angeles than it does for the Reds today.
The Dodgers would acquire a proven 24-year-old cornerstone.
Cincinnati would give up its best player and hope that several prospects eventually compensate for his absence.
That is why a deal remains difficult to envision.
Los Angeles should make the call, identify the price and determine whether Cincinnati is genuinely willing to negotiate.
Until that happens, De La Cruz to the Dodgers should be treated as a fascinating possibility—not a developing trade.
How much young talent would you give Cincinnati for Elly De La Cruz?