The $700 million figure didn’t come from Elly De La Cruz or his agent Scott Boras. It came from Joey Votto, live on NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball on August 31, while working as an analyst. And Votto backed it up with a simple argument: «La Cocoa»‘s 2026 numbers aren’t prospect hype anymore — they’re elite shortstop production. A .280 average, a 114 OPS+, and 4.5 WAR are building the most expensive case in Cincinnati Reds history.
What Votto Said — and What Elly Hasn’t
Broadcasting from Wrigley Field, Votto didn’t hedge when asked about De La Cruz’s contract future. He projected a 12-year, $700 million deal — roughly $58 million per season through 2042 — citing De La Cruz’s age (he’ll hit free agency in 2030 at 28), his range at shortstop, and prior seasons of 5–6 WAR. The line that went viral was vintage Votto: «Unfortunately, we can’t afford him. He’s going to cost roughly the GDP of a small country.»
What the viral posts left out: De La Cruz hasn’t asked for anything publicly. His agent is Scott Boras, MLB’s most famous hold-out architect. In the spring of 2025, the Reds already put the largest extension in franchise history on the table — topping the 10-year, $225 million deal Votto himself signed in 2012 — and De La Cruz turned it down. He’s currently earning $800,000 under a unilateral team renewal, the de facto minimum for players at his service level.
Why 2026 Changes the Conversation
De La Cruz is entering this debate with the best possible argument: his season. His .280/.360/.492 slash line is the best complete offensive campaign of his career. The 114 OPS+ means he’s hitting 14% better than the average MLB batter. At 4.5 WAR with weeks still to play, he needs just 0.7 more to surpass his personal best of 5.2, set in 2024.
That 2024 was already historic: De La Cruz became the youngest player in MLB history — in either league — to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 60 bases in the same season. Only four players had ever done it at all.
The 2025 narrative was a step back: .264/.336/.440, 22 home runs, 37 stolen bases across 162 games. The 2026 narrative is the player who learned from that year and found another gear. According to Statcast, his average exit velocity is 94.4 mph — 99th percentile league-wide.
The most telling stretch of this final push is September. Historically, De La Cruz has faded late: a .625 OPS in Sep/Oct 2023, .734 in 2024, .677 in 2025. Through his first five games of September 2026, he’s posting a 1.415 OPS. Small sample, yes — but he’s breaking the pattern exactly when it matters most.
Is $700 Million Realistic or Just Aspirational?
Only two players in MLB history have signed contracts worth $700 million or more: Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. They’re also the only two to clear $500 million. The gap between what De La Cruz is doing now and what Ohtani or Soto were doing when they signed is real — outlets like Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports have noted it with data — but that conversation shifts if free agency arrives in 2030 and the market keeps growing.
The wildcard nobody controls is the next Collective Bargaining Agreement. If MLB introduces a salary cap before 2030 — something owners have pushed for in every recent negotiation — the market for that kind of contract changes dramatically. That’s the quiet risk behind Boras’s strategy: hold out for maximum value in a market that may not exist the way we know it today.
For now, De La Cruz is under team control through 2029, giving the Reds four years to change his mind. GM Nick Krall has said Cincinnati remains open to negotiating. The problem is that the last record-setting offer was already rejected — and the season De La Cruz is having in 2026 is only going to raise the price.
The Numbers Behind the Argument
Here’s what Statcast is tracking for De La Cruz in 2026 — the reason he hits the ball the way he does:
- 556 plate appearances
- 23 home runs, 66 RBI
- AVG: .280 | OPS: .852 | OPS+: 114
- xwOBA: .368 (what his contact quality says he should be producing)
- Average exit velocity: 94.4 mph
- Barrel rate: 14.9%
- Hard-hit rate: 52.3% (balls hit 95+ mph)
- Average bat speed: 75.9 mph
How he ranks across MLB:
- xwOBA: 93rd percentile (elite)
- Bat speed: 91st percentile (elite)
- Exit velocity: 99th percentile (elite)
- Barrel %: 93rd percentile (elite)
- Hard-hit %: 95th percentile (elite)
- Sprint speed: 81st percentile
Opinions make for good TV. Numbers make the case. And right now, Elly De La Cruz’s numbers are making a very expensive one.
