Inside The Reds

Cincinnati Reds Should Try to Sign These Three Players to Long-Term Extensions This Offseason

The Reds front office should bend over backward to lock up Elly De La Cruz through his arbitration seasons.

Rick Ucchino

Sep 21, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) scores on a single hit by catcher Tyler Stephenson (not pictured) in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) scores on a single hit by catcher Tyler Stephenson (not pictured) in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
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This exact same sentiment was expressed this past winter, but after an extremely disappointing 2024 campaign, the Reds Front Office is staring down one of the most crucial off-seasons in recent memory.

Giving credit where it's due, President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall wasted very little time in making a splash by firing Manager David Bell and bringing in two-time World Series Champion Terry Francona.

The hope is with Tito at the helm the Reds' young nucleus will mature at a faster rate than they were under Bell, but hoping players like Noelvi Marte and Will Benson are able to turn things around in 2025 is not a plan for success.

Additions will need to be made if this team is going to make a legitimate push at a playoff spot next year and there's no excuse for why the necessary investments cannot be made. Chief Financial Officer Doug Healy has said the club's payroll will remain at or above 2024 levels, despite the team losing it's TV deal with the Diamond Sports Group.

More: Nick Martinez Explains Why He Accepted Qualifying Offer to Remain With Reds

The Reds have already made one significant move this off-season by keeping right-hander Nick Martinez with a $21 million qualifying offer. He was one of the big additions the club made last winter and while the search begins for upgrades this year, work also needs to be done to lock-up the aforementioned young core.

This should go without saying, but that starts with Elly De La Cruz.

Our own Jeff Carr has already outlined the case for signing De La Cruz to a long-term deal, even though he's guaranteed to be under team control through 2029. It's going to be a difficult task, but the numbers speak for themselves.

At age 22, De La Cruz rivaled the MVP season put together by Reds Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin in 1995 by posting 5.2 WAR with 25 homeruns, 76 RBI and 67 stolen bases. And there's so much room for improvement, which should scare opposing pitchers across the league.

Outside of De La Cruz, there are two other players that should be in line for pay raises this offseason:

Tyler Stephenson

The reemergence of Stephenson was one of the few bright spots of the 2024 season. The Reds catcher was finally fully healthy and proved that he's exactly who the Reds thought he would be.

Stephenson played in 138 games last year, a vast majority of them behind the dish, and posted career highs in homeruns and RBI. His best overall season since his 2021 rookie campaign.

He was once considered a cornerstone piece of the Reds future, then an injury riddled 2022 season led to a down year in 2023. After bouncing back in a big way last season, Stephenson should once again be viewed as a foundational player for the organization.

The 28-year-old is arbitration eligible for the next two seasons and is due to hit the open market in 2027.

Andrew Abbott

Andrew Abbott seemed like a forgotten man heading in spring training this year. Much was written instead about the Reds presumed big three starting pitchers in Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft.

The additions of Frankie Montas and Martinez in free agency then raised questions about whether Abbott would start the 2024 season in the rotation, the bullpen or maybe even in the minors. This despite an impressive rookie year where he posted a 3.87 earned run average with 120 strikeouts over 21 starts.

Injuries and inconsistencies amongst the Reds starters solidified Abbotts turn in the rotation and he provided Cincinnati with some much needed stability every fifth day until he suffered a shoulder strain in August.

Abbott needs to make adjustments in order to pitch deeper into ballgames on a more consistent basis, but he's proven to be one of the most trustworthy arms in the organization while so much uncertainty clouds the futures of other talented young starters like Lodolo and Ashcraft.

Just like De La Cruz, Abbott is under team control through 2029, but a buyout through his arbitration years should at least be explored this winter.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

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