+34Who will be the next player around Major League Baseball to land a monster deal?
May 10, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz runs the bases as he advances to third base against the Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park.
Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Over the last few years, we have seen some truly massive deals get done around Major League Baseball.from the Los Angeles Dodgers, among many others. Naturally, any time these big deals get done, the question that always pops up is who is next?this upcoming offseason, but he also just had elbow surgery and is going to be 30 years old by the time free agency gets here.
Outside of Skubal, there isn't anyone heading to free agency this upcoming offseason who will likely significantly break the bank. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is another guy heading to free agency, but he's not going to get anywhere near the money as the guys above. May 10, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz reacts as he runs the bases against the Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park.
Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Outside of Skubal, the next mega deal very well could be a young guy going the extension route, rather than simply in free agency, like we've seen with Ohtani and Soto. Guerrero got his massive deal as an extension from the Toronto Blue Jays. One guy worth watching is Cincinnati Reds superstar Elly De La Cruz. He's under team control through the 2029 season.
But he's 24 years old and already is tearing it up across the big leagues. So far this season, he has slashed .288/.354/.521 with an .875 OPS, 10 homers, 29 RBIs, nine stolen bases, 17 walks, eight doubles and 39 runs scored in a league-leading 41 games played.98th percentile in outs above average . He's a true five-tool player and there were some eyebrows raised on Monday.
De La Cruz posted on Instagram out to dinner with agent Scott Boras, whichBoras is De La Cruz's agent, so naturally they would have dinner together sometimes. But any time you see Boras around, it does raise questions on if there is a deal to be had.
"Agent Scott Boras had dinner with his client Elly De La Cruz last night at Jeff Ruby's restaurant in Cincinnati which made me reach out to Reds Nick Krall to see if they re-engaged in talks ... he replied 'Not at this time' ," Bowden wrote Now, even if the two sides haven't come back together to talk shop, this certainly could be viewed as a precursor. Right now, De La Cruz has three seasons of control left after the 2026 season, but with his age and how well he's already playing, he could be a guy in line for one of those mega deals next.
Getting something done now would save cash in the long run. So, if you're looking around wondering who could be the next to get paid, outside of Skubal, De La Cruz wouldn't be a bad bet. Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also received an MBA at Brandeis University.
For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Fastball On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@moreviewsmedia.comTarik Skubal’s Recovery Will Shape MLB’s Next Potential Mega-Deal
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