Cincinnati Reds Make Decision About Elly De La Cruz's Future

If you thought there was a chance the Reds were going to move Elly De La Cruz to a new position after leading the league in errors for the second consecutive season, think again.

Charlie Goldsmith reported on Monday afternoon that De La Cruz will be Cincinnati’s shortstop in 2026 and they have no plans for him to change positions.

“Elly De La Cruz will be the Reds’ shortstop again in 2026, according to sources,” Goldsmith wrote.

Goldsmith said the Reds plan to give De La Cruz more off days and more days off in the field in 2026, to help him stay fresh throughout the season. He played all 162 games in 2025.

Reds manager Terry Francona joined the Reds Hot Stove last week and was asked about the young superstar.

“That’s the 100-dollar question,” Francona said. “I think Freddie Benavides is one of the better coaches I’ve ever been around. Freddie lives and dies trying to get these guys better. Elly makes some errors that can be fixed. I also think with such a long levered guy, every time he throws, you’ve got to pay attention… We’ve got to clean (the errors) up. We’re going to spend a ton of energy trying to do it.”

The 23-year-old took a bit of a step back in his third year in the big leagues, slashing .264/.336/.440 with 60 extra-base hits and 37 stolen bases.

The Reds need more out of De La Cruz in 2026 and they’re working on ways to get it out of him.

You can read Goldsmith’s full article about what he’s hearing here.

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Cincinnati Reds Make Decision About Elly De La Cruz’s Future

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