Bobby Witt Jr. signed a massive contract extension with the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Cincinnati Reds/Emilee Chinn / Elly De La Cruz/GettyImagesOne of baseball’s most interesting new clubs is the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds will rely on their youthful core to lead the way into 2024 and beyond after graduating several of their best prospects to the major leagues in 2023.However, these athletes won’t be “cheap” for very long. Players who were playing for the league minimum become more expensive as they become eligible for arbitration. A year ago, Jonathan India was earning the league minimum; by 2024, he will be earning almost $3 million.

3 most pressing contract extensions for Reds after Bobby Witt Jr. news

Like the Cincinnati Reds, the Kansas City Royals play in one of Major League Baseball’s smallest markets. But just this week, Bobby Witt Jr., the young star in Kansas City, and the Royals reached an agreement on a huge deal extension. The shortstop inked an 11-year, $288.7 million contract with the Royals.

The Reds fan base will undoubtedly speculate as a result of this. Should the Reds offer comparable terms to any of their young players? If so, who ought to receive that kind of offer? Now that the Royals have dumped Witt, let’s examine the three most important contract extension prospects the Reds should pursue.

Extending Elly De La Cruz offers the Reds high-risk/ high-reward

Elly De La Cruz interrupts and re-starts the conversation. De La Cruz, one of Major League Baseball’s most electrifying players, is a must-watch on television. De La Cruz is an extraordinary athlete with exceptional speed and strength. The young shortstop is one of baseball’s best players waiting to happen.

Potential is, of course, the crucial word. Even though he had moments of brilliance throughout his rookie campaign, De La Cruz had several shortcomings. Midway through the 2023 season, De La Cruz made a big splash, but in the closing stages, he faded away.

And it wasn’t just his bat. Last season, De La Cruz had a strikeout percentage of above 30% at times, but he was also quite careless with the glove. Despite having exceptional arm strength, De La Cruz made more than a dozen mistakes in 2023.

Elly De La Cruz, though, is the one player on the Cincinnati Reds roster that can get people into the stands if that’s what you’re looking for. Without a doubt, De La Cruz is the best player to get that kind of contract extension if he fulfills the high expectations placed on him by scouts, analysts, and fans alike.

A contract extension for Matt McLain is the Reds’ safest bet

Elly De La Cruz presents all the extravagance and spotlight that accompanies being a highly regarded candidate. He has an extremely high ceiling. However, if you enjoy baseball more in the traditional sense, you might be in favor of Matt McLain signing a long-term deal with the Cincinnati Reds.

Of all the players on the roster right now, McLain arguably has the highest floor. You get what you see when you work with McLain. Although De La Cruz possesses extraordinary speed, tremendous pop, and an arm as strong as a cannon, McLain is equally formidable in all those domains.

Due to an oblique strain, McLain missed the last month of the 2023 season, which might have made the difference between the Reds missing the postseason and missing it by the narrowest of margins. That’s how good he was in his first campaign.

Whether or not the organization thinks McLain can improve upon his 2023 performance is the problem with extending a player of his caliber. Even though McLain has 30/30 potential, does that mean a huge contract extension is necessary when a guy like De La Cruz has 40/60 potential?

It is safer to extend Matt McLain rather than a player like Elly De La Cruz. No one in Reds Country would blink if the UCLA product signed a long-term contract since he appears to be a reliable contributor for the next ten years. Will the Reds, though, be trying to smash a home run or play it safe?

The Reds could offer Noelvi Marte a contract extension before his rookie season

It’s crucial to realize that none of Bobby Witt Jr.’s teammates or the youthful core of the Cincinnati Reds have the same degree of success or experience competing at the highest level. Witt proved to be an intriguing young talent and finished his second full major league season in 2023.

Though this discussion was sparked by Witt’s signing, the Reds might be better served by extending Noelvi Marte. The Reds’ third baseman would be better likened to Colt Keith, who recently inked a nine-year, $82 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, than to Marte or Witt.

In 2024, Marte will still be regarded as a rookie. Prior to making his major league debut late last summer, Marte, a former top prospect in the Seattle Mariners organization, tore past Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville in 2023.

Marte did not receive a year of service time last season, although Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain did. The 22-year-old won’t be eligible for arbitration until 2027 and won’t become a free agent until after the 2029 campaign.

Marte is not a client of Scott Boras, in contrast to De La Cruz and McLain. Third baseman Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians and former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo have had their contracts extended thanks to Marte’s representation, but Boras prefers to see his clients through their arbitration years and into free agency.

These three young players together are the future core of the Reds organization. Although it seems improbable, Reds supporters would love to see all three grow and guide this team for the ensuing ten years. Cincinnati’s ownership group may want to move quickly to secure the long-term contracts of one or more of its young players, given the increasing size of baseball contracts.