Elly De La Cruz thought Reds had been going to land Kyle Schwarber

Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz believed that his group was going to get an enormous increase within the lineup this offseason.

Before Kyle Schwarber signed a five-year, $150 million deal to stick with the Phillies in December, De La Cruz thought that the three-time All-Star was becoming a member of the Reds.

“I thought we were going to get him,” De La Cruz told The Enquirer on Friday. “That was going to be fun.”

De La Cruz additionally mentioned he noticed Schwarber on his free agent go to for Cincinnati whereas understanding on the Reds’ facility, and that that they had a quick dialog.

It was rumored early within the offseason that Schwarber, an Ohio native, may have signed with the Reds, and that they provided him a five-year deal value $125 million, in keeping with a number of experiences.

Though Schwarber in the end remained in Philadelphia, he admitted that he was “impressed” by the Reds after assembly with them.

“I was impressed,” Schwarber told MLB.com in December. “Me and [my wife] Paige went all the way down to Cincinnati, and we had been in a position to sit down and have that dialog with them and listen to them out. I’d say that they weren’t pulling chains, and that they had been desirous to attempt to get me to Cincinnati.

“There are things that you have to cover your bases and every aspect of it. We had those conversations, and I appreciate every conversation I had with every team.”

De La Cruz was not alone in pondering that Schwarber may have wound up in Cincinnati, as Phillies teammate Bryce Harper advised reporters earlier in February that he additionally thought the designated hitter was signing with the Reds.

“I thought Kyle was going to go to Cincinnati to tell you the truth,” Harper said. “I believed it was a completed deal going to Cincinnati simply because being at residence and issues like that.

“Obviously I didn’t know. We kind of messed with him the whole time about him going back home and playing in front of his fan base.”

Schwarber was thought to be one of many prime accessible bats this free company after having a profession 12 months in 2025, posting a slash line of .240/.365/.563 with an NL-leading 56 homers whereas main all of MLB in RBIs (132).