"Incremental improvement on both of them is very very similar" - Sportscaster makes strong case for Elly De La Cruz to get Bobby Witt Jr.’s $288M deal

Elly De La Cruz's recent stretch of form has prompted some analysts to wonder whether he deserves a massive multi-year contract from the Cincinnati Reds. There have been comparisons made to the Kansas City Royals locking up their superstar youngster Bobby Witt Jr. for an 11-year, $288 million deal.

De La Cruz has been leading the Reds lineup all season. He has recorded 20 home runs and 59 stolen bases this season with a .264 and .839 OPS. More than his stats, his presence has been a strong positive addition to the Reds as he could be the face of the organization in the coming years.

On JM Baseball's YouTube channel, Chris Rose, in conversation with Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow, was looking at probable contenders who could challenge Shohei Ohtani for the NL MVP crown, to which Cruz's name popped up. This prompted Glasnow to ask the sportscaster whether the Reds shortstop could garner such a heavy price as Witt's.

"I think they ought to do it this offseason or they are nuts. ... The incremental improvement on both of them is very very similar in terms of power numbers, OPS, jumping, strike out rate going down, walk rate going up. Obviously they are two of the best in terms of speed in the game," Rose said.

Elly De La Cruz's current contract projections

Elly De La Cruz is in his pre-arbitration one-year contract of $742,500. He has two more years of pre-arbitration left, and the Reds will set his values when they negotiate their one-year deal. However, they may choose to bypass the option and offer him a long-term contract.

Bobby Witt's $288 million contract by the Royals also has walk-away options from 2031 to 2034 but also has three team options that could bring the contract's overall value to $377.7 million over 14 years. That is a little over $26 million per year.

If De La Cruz were to be signed, the Reds would have to offer a similar price. They would want to lock him up before his stocks rise even further in the next two years.