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.
Cruz should be the Pirates DH against right handed pitchers if he is not traded as he is not a good fielder anywhere.
He had the most errors for any outfielder last year.
Admittedly,he should have been switched years ago when he could have developed a feel for an entirely new position.
His sometimes lack of hustle and baseball sense will doom his career with the Pirates.
Did he have any injury problems? He was on pace for 40/40, and then disappeared.
No.
He just disappeared.
He seemed disinterested.
Some of us Pirates fans hope that they trade him and he is like Hayes as he seems to want out.
We would grant him his notion.
Not only his skills, but his size is going to move him off SS in the near future. He has the raw skills for SS but not the consistency. He is like most hard throwing young pitchers coming up through the minors. A good arm alone does not make a pitcher. Most don’t ever pan out.
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.
Very good points. EDC had a W.A.R. of 3.6 this season. To put into perspective, and to prove your point, light hitting Miguel Rojas had a W.A.R of 3.4. playing SS in only 100 games last year. EDC is a shiny object, but that’s about it. I would also argue that he should not be hitting in the middle of the lineup. Put him at leadoff and move him to the OF.
For the Reds offensive future, i think McClain is the key. If he can re-capture his pre-shoulder hitting form, he would be one of the centerpieces hitting in the middle of the lineup
I think the bigger issue is a guy with his raw tools (speed and arm) putting up a -3 OOA last year and a -12 DRS (which I think is a bit more accurate for infielders) in his first 3 season. A team needs to get more out of that kind of athlete and if moving him to CF (where raw tools matter most) does that, they need to consider it. I wouldn’t necessarily move him now, but if he has another negative OOA or DRS, they need to move him before his team control starts to get thin.
I propose a trade of Duran, Abreu, Early, & Toole for De La Cruz & Greene. Win win?
Who on this board is Toole?
Wait… Tolle? There us no need for De La Cruz on Red Sox. Duran, Jh Garcia and choice of Harrison, Uberstine, Fitts or Dobbins for Greene. Win win.
Blueberry
Who on this board is Toole? Wait… Tolle?
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Thanks for the clarification. I’m sure that no RS fan would’ve recognized that type and have no idea he meant Tolle.
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.
I think there was a link to an article about how Boros & Elly don’t want him moved off short … if he hits a little better, he’s worth a lot more at SS than CF… but Elly’s defense has to get better to stay at short (errors and also the double plays not turned due to a poor toss at 2nd base)
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.
The exact same year at the exact same age that Tatis Jr moved to RF.
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.
Errors and fielding percentage haven’t mattered that much for a while now. They are mostly dictated by scorekeeper judgement. It’s also a stat that says Ozzie Smith isn’t a top 25 defender at shortstop, but Nick Castellanos is a top 3 defender in right field.
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.
That is the way it will likely go. It is a shame the Reds won’t pay him nor make him move to the best position for the team. It may be a win / win if they can trade him for close to equal value with less cost and no refusal to play where they fit best..
What do you mean Won’t pay him? Good grief. Do you know who his agent is? His agent even if they offered him to buy out at least one year of FA would refuse. If the Reds put all their resources to pay him Boras would still not take it because he knows at least 3 other teams can outbid the Reds. I mean come on with that won’t pay him stuff.
Can’t. Yes. Tie up all their resources on him and have people like the original poster who blames everything on the FO complain this is just like Votto signing. Now you can’t pay anyone else. They are clearly trying the route of developing and churning without having to blow all their money on one player.
Cruz also signed that contract for advance money until he made it. Now he has to pay back that loan. He’s going to ask for money that only 3-4? Teams can afford.
He also wanted to play every game and that they should have put a stop once he produced like Juan Castro for the last 2 months. He needs some rest. I’m also fine with move him to CF. If he’s balking that’s on him and who knows with that agent.
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.
The only place Hayes should be locked in to is the batting cage all offseason long to figure out how to provide any sort of value with the bat
Hayes’ bat is never going to be the same after his herniated disc in 2024.
Hayes bat has never been good and will only get worse if and when his disc acts up.
His value is basically only in his fielding.
After a good start with the Reds his stats reverted to his mean.
He was good in 2023, but that was before his back problems started to take affect. Sad too because he had found something that was working for him.
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.
This and also he just seems to make some bad decisions on what could be routine grounders that reps will iron out. Now idk if they count throwing errors the same but most of them were related to him trying to make a play that he shouldn’t have.
He makes almost all of his errors in throws. Nothing to do with any positioning. He gets to balks just fine. He’s not making errors on that.
It’s got very little at all to do with what you are talking about. He rushes throws or throws too high or low. Where you’re getting this stuff about not being put in better positions is false.
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.
The more reps he takes in practice, the more fluid he’ll be in the field. Reducing all of the extra movement and actions at shortstop will save his stamina and legs.
Plus, the kids is young. He has enough stamina. And if he doesn’t, a strenuous off-season of work should prepare him better for the season.
Fix the problems, don’t avoid them. Your sister construction will be better overall.
Terrible decision!!!!!🤬
I never really understood the sticking him at SS instead of CF. It’s not like the Reds didn’t have other options that were more than capable of playing SS when he came up.
Elite speed, elite arm, never been a great defensive infielder.
Let him cut loose with that speed in CF and track down some balls. Let him unleash that cannon from CF and gun down some runners.
I would like to see fielding and throwing errors separated.
Was Elly a SS in the minors? College? If so, he might not get much better on defense at SS. If he hasn’t been predominately a SS then he will probably get better with a few more years at the position. And as far as a DH goes is his arm is a big asset that needs to be used. At the same time you need to catch the ball before using his arm in most cases.
Elly should winter holiday in JP with Ohtani because we all know there’s a 100+mph pitcher somewhere in there
Effectively wild would be his calling card.
Didn’t get it when the Reds traded for Ke Bryan Hayes at the deadline. If there’s one thing the Reds didn’t need, it was another infielder, much less a 3B-only guy.
Once again during his time in Cincy, the glove was as advertised but unfortunately, so was the wimp bat.
I liked the Hayes trade. The $30M/4 is a great price for someone with his high floor/mid-range ceiling.
Hayes has a mediocre floor and mediocre at best ceiling for his hitting.
One of the few things that Cherington did that was good last year was to get a decent prospect for him and dump his salary.
That is all that that trade was.
Can Fernando Tatis Jr. give him some tips to transition and play RF in Dominican Republic?
How can a god defensive first baseman help if they keep him in SS?
Moving SS before the pitching can give tips to batters.
This team needs to improve defense and run prevention.
Francona nor Krall will move EDLC off shortstop and replace him with McLain. There does exist the possibility that Edwin Arroyo and his defense could force the Reds to move Cruz off ss in the 2nd half of 2026.
If Arroyo can hit .270 in mlb and play a steady SS for Cincy then for the good of the team the switch has to happen. Or McLain needs to rediscover how to hit and go to short which would allow Steer to man second. That would create an infield any pitcher would envy. If EDLC is refusing to switch for the good of the team then, IMO he needs to head to LA sooner than planned.
Abreu + Campbell for Greene or Burns + a decent+ prospect.
Who says no?
He’ll never be mistaken for a gold glover
He’s insanely fast and throws incredibly hard. Maybe they could position him a fraction deeper to give him a wink more time once he gets to the ball? With that arm he needs less time to get it over to first.
I think some of these issues can be mitigated with coaching/ strategy.