Votto Contract Talks

Joey Votto is the best player currently on the Cincinnati Reds roster but may not be there for long.  The Reds have a reputation of not paying their best players who turn into free agents at the end of the season, especially if there is a young prospect who they may feel can fill the shoes of the free agent expecting a big pay day.  This is the setting the Reds will face this offseason in signing Joey Votto. Will the Reds give Votto the big bucks or rely on Yonder Alonso to fill the shoes of Votto for a much cheaper price?

If the Reds have any brains, which sometimes you wonder, they will give the big contract to Votto.  Votto has only played professionally for three years with only two of those years being solid.  Albert Pujols received a seven year, $100 million deal after his first three years, but his numbers dwarfed Votto’s.  However, they do currently share the same agent.  The Reds could likely lock up Votto right now for four years for a number somewhere over $40 million.  They would be getting a MVP type first basemen at a discount with this contract considering the contract Ryan Howard has signed and the future contract Albert Pujols will sign that will break the record for NL first basemen. 

                                        

Any deal that Votto signs will be a big upgrade from his $550,000 he earned this past year.  Votto was one of the lowest paid players on the Reds roster and was obviously the best player.  There is another unlikely situation that Votto could agree to.  He could sign a one year deal with the Reds to build his reputation of being a MVP caliber player to get an even bigger deal the following year.  There are some obvious risks in passing up a long term deal for one more year, but it could earn Votto millions more if his one year was a success.  If Votto does this, it would be highly unlikely he would remain in a Reds uniform two years from now.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2010/10/22/daugherty-looks-at-joey-vottos-mega-earnings-coming/

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