Cincinnati Reds superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz is one of the most electrifying players in Major League Baseball.
He also seems to take his game to another level when he faces the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After a May 2024 game where De La Cruz went 4-for-4 while stealing four bases at Dodger Stadium, the shortstop famously called Los Angeles, "my city."
A few years later, could he end up calling Los Angeles home?
Elly De La Cruz's reasons for why Los Angeles is his city:
— Cut4 (@Cut4) May 17, 2024
✅ First time he came to the United States was in LA
✅ Told people he was born in LA when he was younger
✅ Played a lot of Grand Theft Auto 😭 pic.twitter.com/9jMHKh1KDM
De La Cruz, who turns 25 in January, is entering his first offseason of arbitration eligibility. He won't be a free agent until the 2030 season, assuming he even gets there.
In spring training before the 2025 season, De La Cruz turned down a contract extension that would have been the largest in Reds history, surpassing Joey Votto's 10-year, $225 million deal.
“We made Elly an offer that would’ve made him the highest-paid Red ever,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said last year. “That’s not where he is and you respect that. It’s their career. You keep going and you keep working on what you can do today.”
While the team has shown no indication of potentially trading De La Cruz, the worst thing that could happen would be the Reds losing him for nothing in a few years. Moreover, they're coming off a disappointing 2026 season in which they went 75-87, finishing last in the National League Central.
Thus, during the postseason, it was none other than Votto who took to social media to theorize a potential one-for-one trade to bring De La Cruz to Los Angeles.
The deal? De La Cruz for Dodgers top prospect Josue De Paula, straight up.
"De Paula for Elly," Votto wrote. "Who says no?"
De Paula for Elly. Who says no?
— Joey Votto (@JoeyVotto) October 12, 2026
Does Elly De La Cruz for Josue De Paula Trade Make Sense?
On the surface, the trade wouldn't seem to make sense.
De La Cruz is a two-time All-Star coming off a 2026 season in which he hit a career-high 30 home runs with 30 stolen bases and an OPS of .880. In 2024, he had 25 home runs, 67 stolen bases and an OPS of .809.
On top of his power and speed, De La Cruz is an elite defensive shortstop, ranking in the 92nd percentile in Outs Above Average this past season. His arm strength ranks in the 91st percentile.
De La Cruz is a true five-tool player, and is not even yet in the prime of his career. So why would Cincinnati trade him for a player who's unproven and just a few years younger than him?
Well, De Paula has the look of a future superstar in this league. Across 124 games at Double-A Tulsa this year, he hit .303 with 27 home runs, 104 RBIs and an OPS of .948. He added 31 stolen bases and had an unbelievable 81 walks to 87 strikeouts.
That led to his surprise promotion in September, where he slashed .323/.500/.581 with five extra-base hits, 11 walks to five strikeouts and an OPS of 1.081 across 11 big-league games.
De Paula is just 21 years old and has double the amount of team control as De La Cruz. His three postseason plate appearances included two walks, showing his elite plate discipline.
The one knock on De Paula's game is his defense, which the Dodgers are trying to improve to make him a serviceable left fielder. On another team, however, he could be a full-time DH, and put together an unbelievable season on offense.
A De La Cruz for De Paula trade is highly unlikely this offseason (or any time soon). The fact that a Reds legend could even theorize it, though, shows just how special the Dodgers' 21-year-old rookie has the potential to be.
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