One of the bigger storylines of the 2026 offseason for the Cincinnati Reds will be Elly De La Cruz and whether the Reds decide to pull the trigger on a trade now, instead of waiting closer to the final year of team control and hoping to build a better roster to support De La Cruz and Rookie of the Year winner Sal Stewart.

Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall spoke at the General Managers' meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada, and provided an update on the status of the Reds' superstar shortstop. 

No Trade Talks, Yet.

Reds beatwriter C. Trent Rosecrans spoke to Krall at the general manager meetings and Krall has said that he has not engaged in any talks involving the 25-year-old De La Cruz. 

"We haven't had any conversations about him this off season. ... I'm never going to say never, but we haven't had any conversations," said Krall.

The Reds do not need to make a trade involving De La Cruz this offseason to maximize his trade value. He is just going into his first year of arbitration this offseason and has shown growth in his all-around play every season. It has been reported that the Reds did offer De La Cruz an extension to make him the highest-paid player in franchise history, but he declined it.

With an extension seemingly off the table, if the Reds want to set up long-term success for the franchise as a whole, they need to look at trade options eventually. This is a move the Reds cannot afford to mess up. De La Cruz has the potential to be the face of the sport with his game-changing speed, power, and impressive defensive ability, which he has shown massive growth in. 

The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on December 1. I do not see the Reds making a trade including De La Cruz beforehand, but a move cannot happen afterward until a new collective bargaining agreement is agreed upon.

Sal Stewart's Award-Winning Season Gives Reds A Chance To Grow Farm System In 2027 Draft

Sal Stewart won the Baseball Writers Association of America's Jackie Robinson National League Rookie of the Year Award on Monday night. By winning the award, the Reds receive a PPI compensation draft pick after the first round of next year's draft.

The Reds were able to draft Stewart in a similar fashion. During the offseason going into the 2022 season, the Reds offered Nick Castellanos a qualifying offer, and he declined. When he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies that offseason, the Reds were awarded a compensation pick for the 2022 draft. With that pick, the Reds drafted Stewart with the 32nd pick. 

The Reds improved their farm system in last year's draft, drafting Justin Lebron after he fell to the 18th pick after being a consensus top-10 pick going into the final year of his college career. If the Reds can hit on another top-tier talent with that pick, the future of their farm system looks brighter than it has since De La Cruz came through in 2023.