Dodgers fans trying to lobby for Elly De La Cruz trade are entering dangerous territory

Los Angeles Dodgers fans are getting an up-close look at Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, and boy, do they like what they see. Despite being banged up with a sore quad, De La Cruz put on a show last week in LA, homering in each game of the three-game set, which is part of a longer, five-game dinger streak. He then hit a ball out of park (literally) during Monday's game in Cincinnati.

Not only is he putting on a show in the batter's box, but he's also shining in the field, uncorking some absolutely wild throws in the process. At just 24 years old, he's an absolute toolshed and is on an incredible second-half tear that has him batting .298/.383/.540.

Five-tool players are a rarity in today's game, but De La Cruz legitimately is one. He has a 67-steal season on his resume in 2024. He's hitting a career-high .283 with a career-best 10.8% walk rate. With 26 homers on the season, it wouldn't surprise if this is the year that he breaks the 30-homer plateau this year.

Obviously, there's a lot to like, and the Dodgers have an aging shortstop, Mookie Betts, who is struggling. It's easy to see that moving Betts to a less physically demanding position like second base could revitalize his bat. Some have suggested that the Dodgers should accomplish that goal by emptying the farm to acquire De La Cruz from the Reds.

Trading for Elly De La Cruz would be a Dodgers dream, but the optics would be a nightmare

On the surface, it makes a lot of sense for both sides. Getting a player with De La Cruz's talent and youth would sustain Los Angeles's dynasty well into the future. At the same time, Cincinnati has already been rebuffed in its attempts to extend the sensational switch-hitter, and as he continues to surge, some are predicting that he could command a $700 million contract.

The Reds would cripple under the weight of such a contract and would never be as bold as to offer it to De La Cruz. But he's about to head into arbitration and, as we saw with Tarik Skubal, superstar players can get extremely expensive in that process, too. On top of that, the other members of their young core, Sal Stewart and Chase Burns, are even younger and have more control. De La Cruz is essentially on an opposite timeline.

So getting a package of the Dodgers' most precious gems -- guys like Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, Christian Zazueta, etc. -- would be a boost for Cincinnati, and might fit the franchise's timeline even better than De La Cruz does.

There are a couple of problems, though. Opposing fan bases already came out of the woodwork crying over the price the Dodgers paid for Skubal at the deadline, and that was for a half-season of a starting pitcher coming off major elbow surgery whose previous team was over a barrel and had no leverage.

Imagine the outcry if the Dodgers were to trade for a rising star who hasn't even come close to sniffing his prime and comes with three more years of team control. They'll be screeching from the rooftops.

Then there's the Mark Walter of it all. The allegations against the owner have the baseball world on edge, ready to cry foul about anything Los Angeles has done and will do.

Better to wait for the heat to die down. There will likely come a time in the future when the Reds are forced to put De La Cruz on the block, and when that time comes, it will be a much more normal baseball transaction.

A bidding war would surely ensue, and if the Dodgers win, there will still be sour grapes, but in their heart of hearts, the fans on the outside will understand that this is how the game works. Pulling the trigger earlier, though, is just inviting undue criticism.

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