The Boston Red Sox need to add a little star power back to their lineup. There's been an exodus of big names from Boston in recent years, from Mookie Betts to Alex Bregman. That must change if the team hopes to get over the postseason hump.
Swinging big for Adley Rutschman at the trade deadline was certainly a nice step in that direction, but he's not quite "face of the franchise" material. There's still an opening for that job on the Red Sox, at least while we're all waiting for Roman Anthony to live up to his top-prospect billing.
Thus, it's time to keep the foot on the pedal when it comes to Elly De La Cruz rumors. An annual MVP vote recipient, the shortstop is one of the premier all-around talents in the game today. And according to Joey Votto, he should be made available this winter.
Of course, Votto's comments would mean more if he held a serious role within the Reds organization. As it stands, he's a franchise legend with a strong following, but his words won't hold much weight beyond that in Cincinnati.
"Are you going to give up a half or a third of your payroll on one player? It doesn't make sense."@JoeyVotto would trade Elly De La Cruz for "as many prospects as possible." pic.twitter.com/iaaDiR0i5P
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) October 15, 2026
Elly De La Cruz is Red Sox's dream target, but only if they're ready to go all-in on a new face of the franchise
Still, that doesn't mean the Reds can't come to the same conclusion on their own. They know that De La Cruz already turned down the biggest offer in franchise history and is now three years away from free agency. After a last-place finish in the NL Central this year, it's probably safe to say they won't be a title contender within that window.
Thus, a trade of De La Cruz is a definite possibility. But if it happens, it's going to adhere to the terms Votto laid out — i.e., it's going to cost the acquiring team a boatload of top prospects.
From the Red Sox's perspective, that's going to mean a complete gutting of the farm system. We know they're willing to discuss Franklin Arias in De La Cruz trade talks, having already initiated those conversations back at the trade deadline. But that was before they emptied the chamber for Rutschman, which cost them Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar, Carlos Narváez and Harold Rivas.
Moving Arias for a fellow shortstop in De La Cruz would be a tolerable trade-off (especially since it displaces Trevor Story from the position at the MLB level), but his inclusion in the return package would be just the tip of the iceberg. Since the Red Sox have moved a lot of their best pitching prospects in the past 12 months, they'll need to build out a ridiculous collection of young hitting talent to pique the Reds' interest, which might include top-100 prospect Justin Gonzales, rising catching prospect Franklin Primera and first-round pick Jake Schaffner.
De La Cruz is absolutely the kind of player worth that price, but it is an all-in gambit. If the Red Sox are having doubts or opt to divide their attention between multiple trade targets, they might not be able to meet the Reds' asking price.
Add us as a preferred source on Google