“My goal for Elly De La Cruz is to be one of the best” – Reds manager new Terry Francona on slugger's potential to become MLB superstar
The Cincinnati Reds will be entering the 2025 season with a new manager, Terry Francona. The club hired him to lead the ship after he spent the 2024 season at home.
The former Cleveland Guardians manager is walking into an exciting opportunity. He has tons of young players that have quickly made a name for themselves, like Elly De La Cruz.
De La Cruz has become a leader in the clubhouse. Moving forward, Francona has big plans, not just for him, but for the entire team.
"My goal for [Elly De La Cruz] is not just to be an exciting, good player... It's to be one of the best players in baseball on one of the best teams in baseball," said Francona.
De La Cruz was one of the more fun players to watch this past season. During 160 regular-season games, he hit .259/.339/.471 with 25 home runs and 76 runs batted in.
However, De La Cruz did struggle at the plate at times. He led both leagues in strikeouts this season with 218 whiffs. Cincinnati also struggled as a team, going 77-85 to finish out the year.
How can Terry Francona's Reds improve over the winter?
With the season the Reds just had, there is certainly room for improvement. They have a few holes coming into the offseason, and they need to address them before the 2025 season kicks off.
One area of need for the club is adding an outfielder. Luckily for them, there are quite a few good ones to choose from, like Teoscar Hernandez or Anthony Santander.
Joc Pederson is also another free-agent outfielder after opting out of his mutual $14 million option. Some insiders have already linked the two sides early.
Cincinnati may also look at upgrading their DH spot for next season. Nick Martini started the season as the club's main DH but is on the injured list and will be a free agent next season.
Terry Francona and the front office have their work cut out for them. Expect them to be aggressive as we get closer to the colder months.