Throughout the offseason, a vocal minority of Cincinnati Reds supporters urged the team to transfer Elly De La Cruz from shortstop to the outfield. It wasn’t a crazy concept, and it was motivated by the desire to keep Jonathan India as the Reds’ second baseman rather than trading him.
It would also put De La Cruz’s incredible tools on full show. Last year’s rookie demonstrated that he was one of the sport’s fastest players, able to cover a lot of territory on the base paths and infield. De La Cruz also has a right arm cannon, which would profile very well in either center or right.
However, Reds manager David Bell has already said that De La Cruz will be Cincinnati’s everyday shortstop for the 2018 season. That may be true for the 2024 season, but Edwin Arroyo, a non-roster invitee this spring, might have something to say about it in 2025.
There’s nothing Elly De La Cruz can do to prevent Reds prospect, Edwin Arroyo, from stealing his job
Edwin Arroyo may be the most popular name among Reds fans through the first week of spring training. The 20-year-old shortstop prospect has dazzled the Cincinnati fanbase with his slick fielding. Arroyo logged a double during Tuesday’s Cactus League game against the Chicago Cubs and is 3-for-6 so far this spring.
The Reds acquired Arroyo during the 2022 trade with the Seattle Mariners that send Luis Castillo to the Emerald City. In exchange, the Reds received Arroyo, Noelvi Marte, Levi Stoudt, and Andrew Moore. Marte made his major league debut last season and is seen as a key piece of the roster heading into 2024. Reds fans are hopeful to see Arroyo follow suit by the end of the upcoming season and into 2025.
MLB Pipeline ranks Arroyo as one of the top 100 prospects in baseball. Arroyo’s glove is currently ahead of his bat, but he showed promise in the batter’s box during his time in the minors last season. Arroyo, like De La Cruz, is a switch-hitter who last season spent time between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga, finishing with a.757 OPS.
Edwin Arroyo is a more polished defender than Elly De La Cruz
This was always going to be a concern for the Reds fanbase. At one point, the Cincinnati farm system was overflowing with shortstops. Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Noelvi Marte all seem to have found a defensive home ahead of the 2024 season. But with Edwin Arroyo making his presence known, the Reds will have no choice to eventually find a spot to plug in their top infield prospect.
None of this suggests that De La Cruz is a poor defender or that he cannot play shortstop. In fact, De La Cruz can make plays at shortstop that few others would consider. However, he made over a dozen mistakes at the position during his rookie season.
