According to Sean McAdam of MassLive, the Red Sox made an offer to the Reds for shortstop Elly De La Cruz. McAdam claims that Boston was not willing to give up pieces from its MLB roster in a De La Cruz deal. It’s obvious why the Red Sox, whose shortstops rank 26th in fWAR this season, would be interested in De La Cruz. And if they’re planning to contend from 2027-29, the best way to do that is probably by keeping De La Cruz. He wouldn’t transform the offense in the same way De La Cruz would, but he’s certainly a more realistic target.