Elly De La Cruz has led the league in errors the past two seasons, but the Reds intend to keep him at shortstop, at least for the time being. President of baseball operations Nick Krall spoke to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com for a piece about Cincinnati’s top prospects. With shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo knocking on the door of the majors, Krall was asked if there were plans to move De La Cruz off the position. “As of right now, no,” Krall told Sheldon.
After posting 29 errors in 2024, De La Cruz racked up another 26 this past season. He’s been at least three errors clear of the next-closest defender in each of the past two seasons. Durability is somewhat at play here. De La Cruz has been remarkably healthy in his first two full seasons in the big leagues, appearing in at least 160 games both times. More games equal more fielding opportunities, though De La Cruz has also struggled on a per-chance basis. He finished with the third-worst fielding percentage among qualified players in 2025.
De La Cruz has tantalizing tools at the position. He averaged 92.2 mph on throws in 2025, which ranked in the 93rd percentile. De La Cruz posted standout marks in terms of range last season, with StatCast having him at 14 Outs Above Average. That mark plummeted to -3 this past year, though.
Center field has been rumored as a future destination for De La Cruz. It’s a path many struggling infielders have taken over the years, with Oneil Cruz serving as the most recent notable example. Cruz finished second in errors last season with 26. While a couple of those miscues came in the outfield, 24 of them were at shortstop. Pittsburgh moved Cruz to the outfield full-time in 2025, opting to go with the sure-handed Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop.
While Arroyo might not be an immediate MLB option, Cincinnati has alternatives already on the big-league roster. Matt McLain made 52 starts at the position when he first debuted in 2023. The same goes for Noelvi Marte, who played a handful of games at shortstop when he first joined the Reds. Santiago Espinal has plenty of experience up the middle, but he’s likely ticketed for a utility role. Cincinnati now has Ke’Bryan Hayes at third base to buttress the left side of the infield, which should allow some flexibility with the shortstop decision.
No matter where he plays, De La Cruz’s bat will be in the lineup. He’s been the engine of the offense the past two seasons, topping 20 homers and scoring 100+ runs in back-to-back years. De La Cruz has at least 35 stolen bases in all three of his MLB seasons, including a league-leading 67 swipes in 2024. De La Cruz has trimmed his strikeout rate in each year of his career. He hit a career-best .264 this past season.
Despite De La Cruz’s struggles, Cincinnati only had the 11th-most errors last season. They ranked 21st in fielding percentage. A full season of Hayes should boost those marks.
Playing in 162 games in a spot where the ball is probably hit to you the most, idk it doesn’t seem that big of a deal that he has the most errors with that context.
Lots of other guys also play the same position as him. Over the last two years, he’s made 55 errors at short. The next closest in that span is CJ Abrams with 39 and then Willy Adames with 36. Abrams has played 40 fewer games in that span but still holds a better fielding percentage, and Adames has played one more game then EDC.
It is a fact that he is not especially proficient with the glove. I’d be curious to see him in right. His arm would be a real deterrent to runners trying to take an extra base.
I don’t disagree. And thanks for providing additional info. Maybe OF would workout better for him.
Looking into it a little more, Abrams hasn’t play near as many games (I guess close enough) but not enough for that big of a gap.
They might have to do what Pittsburgh did with Oneil Cruz, though Cruz still managed to have 11 errors in CF.
You haven’t figured in the errors he makes they call hits, because he doesn’t get in front of the ball.
As being the engine that runs the offense, he’s one of the worst clutch hitters in baseball. Add the number of times he’s thrown out on base running blunders. He provides far more mistakes than highlights. And twenty homeruns playing at GABP….not a bragging point. Something anyone who doesn’t strike out 180 times, and can get the ball out of the infield in the air, can do. Get what you can for him now, before everyone figures it out. You’ve got shortstops who will save more runs.
I propose a trade of Duran, Abreu, Early, & Toole for De La Cruz & Greene. Win win?
The Padres moved Tatis Jr, to the OF, from SS, then moved Jackson to CF from SS. So, there is proof it can work with the right athlete. Reds have a good athlete in De La Cruz, but the only problem is, is he willing to give it an honest try. Tatis and Jackson have both become all-stars with good numbers with the bat and glove. It may take a ST to get him adjusted but it is doable if he is willing.
Who is Jackson? Reggie or Michael?
It could be either Reggie or Michael. Both wore a glove for no good reason.
After seeing Elly a lot in Dayton..IMO – stick him in CF… period.
He’s gotten somewhat better as a RH batter, but as a LH batter, I saw Darryl Strawberry.
Get him in CF.. surround him with outfielders who will play off of him and he will be a player that fans will be talking about for a long time.
( and I am not… a Reds fan..)
Keep in mind that he will play next year, his 4th season, at just 24.
That too. Add that to what I said in the very first comment in this thread.
And that is the key point, RTcoop. Who knows if he sticks at SS, but he is still a baby and producing well. If he continues to grow and adjust he could be a perennial All-Star.
Seems like a bad idea
The Reds just need to hire Ron Washington to work with him. If Wash can’t fix him, then stick him in the OF.
Speaking of SS defense – it’s ridiculous that Gunnar Henderson is not a GG finalist and Seager is after playing just 93 games.
Gunnar made some errors early then went 90+ games without another and has made mostly elite. Voters must be thinking of 2024 when he had a period with a bunch of throwing errors – most of which happened on plays where he should have put the ball in his pocket. Assume he’ll get over the hump next year.
Gunnar Henderson: -3 defensive runs saved, -3 outs above average, -1 fielding run value
Corey Seager: +16 defensive runs saved, +4 outs above average, +4 fielding run value
Voters today don’t care about errors all that much, and rightfully so.
Stupid if true.
Impressed he has played 2 full seasons in a row without missing time for injury and also stayed at same position. I’m always looking at stats at end of a season to see who played most games without switch of position or switch of team.
I have always said I see a lot of Eric Davis in him, including an error prone SS.
I stand by that.
He’ll also get traded in a couple of years as they break up yet another squad.
He’s still a Red and Tito is at the helm. All you can do is enjoy the ride while it lasts.
Id say make him the DH, but lux is even worse on the field than he.
The Reds’ roster construction pretty much forces De La Cruz to stay at SS.
Their acquisition of Hayes locked up 3B and bumped Noelvi Marte to RF. TJ Friedl, the Reds’ current CF, is one of their most productive players. Moving Friedl or De La Cruz down the defensive spectrum to LF would make either player a lot less valuable and would take away one of their few remaining slots to add more offense. De La Cruz at SS is pretty much their only viable alignment.
Put him in right and be done with it.
Elly has a ton of range at SS. You can’t make errors on balls you’re not fast enough to reach.
Reds coaching staff need to do better with their scouting teports (aka analytics – yikes!) placing him in better position for opposing batter and with their own pitchers’ tendencies in particular pitch counts.
Just put him on the Mookie Betts shortstop plan.
The kid needs thousands of fundamental reps with a good teacher(s). He’s an excellent athlete, so there’s no reason he can’t improve significantly.
I think more importantly is to get his legs to stay fresh throughout the season. His game is power and speed. He hadn’t either the last 90 days or so of the season. Put him in the outfield and he doesn’t have to be involved with every play as he is now. The Reds are fools to not do it because they have so many options at short and it will open up a few other roster moves for their team to be better. They stole 100 less bases last year and I don’t understand why? I think Francona just waits for a three run home run like he did with the other teams that he had previously and there’s no one in that lineup that can guarantee that. If you can’t score you can’t sit at first base and wait for two hits to score you. Just my opinion.