The Cincinnati Reds have some big decisions to make this offseason, but could trading Elly De La Cruz be one of them?

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer recently put together a list of potential blockbuster trades for the upcoming offseason, including one that would send De La Cruz to the Tampa Bay Rays.

In Rymer's proposal, the Reds would receive three prospects in exchange for their superstar shortstop.

Tampa Bay Rays receive: SS Elly De La Cruz

Cincinnati Reds receive: SS Grady Emerson (MLB No. 12 prospect), C Caden Bodine (MLB No. 41 prospect), RHP Brody Hopkins.

It's certainly an interesting proposal, but how realistic would it be for either team?

What Would the Reds Be Getting in Return?

The biggest name coming back to Cincinnati would be shortstop Grady Emerson, who was selected second overall by the Rays in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Emerson, who is just 18 years old, appeared in 13 games with Single-A Charleston this season. He hit .176/.283/.216 with one triple, three RBIs and two stolen bases.

While those numbers aren't impressive, it was a small sample size and Emerson is still considered one of the best prospects in the sport.

The Reds would also receive catcher Caden Bodine, who put together an impressive 2026 season in the minor leagues.

Bodine appeared in 117 games across four levels, slashing .342/.410/.517 with 17 home runs, 99 RBIs and a .927 OPS.

The 22-year-old finished the season at Triple-A Durham, where he hit .327 with three home runs and nine RBIs in 15 games.

Bodine would give the Reds another promising catching prospect at a position where they have some questions moving forward, especially with Tyler Stephenson entering free agency.

The final piece of the proposed trade would be right-handed pitcher Brody Hopkins.

Hopkins spent most of the 2026 season with Triple-A Durham, posting a 5.17 ERA across 94 innings. He struck out 122 batters but also walked 92.

The 24-year-old also made six appearances with the Rays, posting a 5.06 ERA with seven strikeouts and six walks across 5 1/3 innings.

The strikeout numbers are encouraging, but his command remains a significant concern.

Would the Reds Actually Consider Trading De La Cruz?

First, it's important to preface that this is simply a trade proposal. There is no indication that the Reds and Rays have discussed a deal.

It's also highly doubtful that Tampa Bay would make this type of trade.

The Rays have built their organization around developing young talent and trading established players rather than giving up multiple premium prospects to acquire them.

Trading two of baseball's top-50 prospects, along with another young pitcher, for a player entering his arbitration years isn't typically how Tampa Bay operates.

For Cincinnati, however, receiving multiple top-100 prospects would likely be the absolute minimum needed to even consider moving De La Cruz.

The 24-year-old is coming off another strong season in which he slashed .283/.365/.515 with 30 home runs, 79 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. He finished with an .880 OPS and 5.6 WAR, the best of his career.

De La Cruz is under team control through the 2029 season.

The Reds would be giving up one of the most talented players in baseball, and there's no guarantee that any of the prospects coming back would develop into an impact major league player.

Cincinnati has already experienced that uncertainty with another blockbuster trade.

When the Reds traded Luis Castillo to the Seattle Mariners in 2022, they received a package headlined by two highly regarded prospects in Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo.

More than four years later, that trade has yet to pan out the way they envisioned.

Marte has struggled to establish himself as a consistent major league player, while Arroyo has yet to become the impact player the Reds hoped they were acquiring.

That's the risk Cincinnati would be taking by trading De La Cruz.

The reality is that the Reds will likely have to consider trading De La Cruz at some point. With Scott Boras as his agent, it seems unlikely that De La Cruz will sign a long-term extension with Cincinnati before reaching free agency following the 2029 season.

However, trading him now, with three years of team control remaining, would require an absolute haul, and likely more than what Rymer proposed. The Reds would need to be blown away by an offer to justify moving one of the most talented players in baseball.

While the proposed return is certainly intriguing, it's difficult to think the Rays would make this type of move given how they've operated in the past. Ultimately, this is an interesting proposal, but one that seems highly unlikely to become a reality.