Sports

Red Sox trade rumors: Talks with Reds involving Elly De La Cruz go nowhere

Nairavoice · Aug 2, 2026 · 2 min read

LOS ANGELES — Say this for the Red Sox in their search for a shortstop at the trade deadline: they’re not afraid to aim high.

The Red Sox had discussions with the Cincinnati Reds about Elly De La Cruz, but couldn’t match up. The Reds aren’t inclined to move de la Cruz, but are willing to at least listen to teams who might meet their admittedly high asking price.

According to a league source, the Red Sox offered a package mostly made up of prospects for de la Cruz, 24. The offer wasn’t enough to tempt the Reds, who were more interested in young major leaguers.

The Red Sox told the Reds that they weren’t willing to subtract from their major league roster in order to make a deal.

It’s unknown whether the package of prospects included shortstop Franklin Arias. Arias is the Red Sox’ top-rated prospect and considered by many evaluators to be among the Top 10 prospects in the game.

De la Cruz is one of the most dynamic and athletic young players in the game. In 2024, he stole an MLB-leading 67 bases and added a career-best 25 homers. He also struck out a league-leading 218 times and committed 29 errors.

Over the last two years, his game has evolved as he’s cut down on strikeouts, dropping his rate from 31.3% to 27.2% this year. He’s also become more reliable in the field, with just 10 errors as the season is about two-thirds over.

The Reds attempted to sign de la Cruz a contract extension that qualified as the biggest offer in franchise history in the spring of 2025, but he turned it down. The exact terms of the deal aren’t known, but it was the larger than the 10-year, $225 million deal once signed by former Reds first baseman Joey Votto.

De la Cruz has three years of control after this season, and the player’s unwillingness — to date at least — to sign an extension is one reason the Reds feel compelled to listen on trade proposals.

In the last week, the Red Sox have been in the market for upgrades to their lineup, with a focus on shortstop and catcher. Among the shortstops linked to them: Zach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels; C.J. Abrams of the Washington Nationals and Otto Lopez of the Miami Marlins.

However, one baseball source said Friday said talks between the Marlins and Red Sox were “dead,” as the Marlins are highly unlikely to move Lopez in any trade.

The catching market is even more competitive. Colorado’s Hunter Goodman is being shopped, though teams are hoping that the Rockies’ asking price may come down before Monday afternoon.