Inside The Reds

Reds Manager Terry Francona Has Lofty Goals for Elly De La Cruz

The 22-year-old was an All-Star this season.

James Rapien

Sep 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) celebrates his two-run triple during the tenth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Sep 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) celebrates his two-run triple during the tenth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images / Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
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CINCINNATI — Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz has been one of baseball's most exciting players since he entered the big leagues in 2023.

New manager Terry Francona is hoping to get the most out of De La Cruz in hopes of making him great.

"My goal is not for him just to be an exciting good player," Francona said. "It's to be one of the best players in baseball on one of the best teams in baseball and that's our goal."

De La Cruz hit 25 home runs and posted a .259/.339/.471 slash line in 160 games in 2024. He was the Reds best player.

A manager like Francona should only make him better. Listen to Francona's complete comments on the

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James Rapien
JAMES RAPIEN

James Rapien is the publisher of Bengals, Reds and Bearcats On SI. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati and has spent a decade covering Cincinnati sports. He's the author of Enter The Jungle, a book about the history of the Cincinnati Bengals. Prior to joining SI, Rapien was a host and producer at 700 WLW and ESPN 1530 in Cincinnati.

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