The Cincinnati Reds head into the offseason with a glaring question mark in their outfield. Although Noelvi Marte’s shift from third base to right field appears to have worked out, the upcoming free agency of Austin Hays will leave a clear vacancy in left field. There’s an obvious fix for this situation — but one the Reds are unlikely to embrace: moving Elly De La Cruz to the outfield.
De La Cruz is not only the most gifted athlete on the Reds roster but one of the most dynamic talents in all of baseball. Despite battling a nagging lower-body issue throughout the season, he still managed to play in all 162 games and ranked in the top 10% of MLB players in sprint speed. Simply put, even when less than 100%, De La Cruz remained a constant threat on the bases.
However, his defensive play at shortstop was a major concern in 2025. De La Cruz led the league in errors, and advanced fielding metrics showed clear regression — his Outs Above Average dropped from an impressive 14 in 2024 to -2 this year.
Reds have an easy fix for their biggest weakness — move Elly De La Cruz to the outfield
If there were ever a perfect offseason to prepare Elly De La Cruz for a new position, this is it. Is there anyone in Reds Country who truly believes he couldn’t handle the move from shortstop to center field? De La Cruz already reads balls off the bat better than many of Cincinnati’s current outfielders, and his elite speed and cannon arm would make him a natural fit patrolling the spacious outfield at Great American Ball Park.
The Reds could easily start the transition by shifting De La Cruz to center while sliding TJ Friedl over to left. The veteran appeared to lose a step this past season, and moving him to a corner spot could help preserve his legs while still keeping an above-average defender in the lineup. A trio of Friedl, De La Cruz, and Noelvi Marte roaming the outfield would be an exciting sight for Reds fans.
Of course, shifting De La Cruz out of the infield would leave a vacancy at shortstop. The most logical replacement is top prospect Edwin Arroyo, who is now a year removed from shoulder surgery and already considered one of the best defensive players in the entire organization. While Arroyo started slow at Double-A Chattanooga, his performance improved as the season progressed. The power numbers weren’t fully back — reflected in his .371 slugging percentage — but that’s understandable given his recovery from a major injury.
That said, Cincinnati’s front office is typically cautious about rushing prospects through the system, and Arroyo’s limited experience at the higher levels of the minors could slow down any immediate plans to bring him up.
Longtime Hall of Fame sportswriter Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News has been advocating for De La Cruz to move off shortstop for quite some time, reiterating his stance again this week in his “Ask Hal” column. When asked recently whether the Reds plan to move De La Cruz to the outfield, team president Nick Krall responded, “As of right now, no.” Still, with plenty of time between now and spring training, that stance could easily change.
