The Cincinnati Reds Lock Up Joey Votto Through 2023

The Reds are just two days away from Opening Day and Reds fans have another reason to be excited about the upcoming year. Cincinnati has made a few trades and free agent signings that excited the fan base that was disappointed in 2011 after the Reds won the Central Division in 2010. Former National League MVP Joey Votto was rumored in trades last season, simply because the Reds couldn't afford to pay him (or at least that's what most baseball insider's thought).

Well, Votto signed a 10-year $225 million extension on Tuesday with the Reds. Votto, signing the fourth largest contract in MLB history, will likely be a Red for the remainder of his career.


What does this mean for a small-market team committing so much money to one player? It means the Reds have their first baseman for the next decade. It makes the Mat Latos deal look better for the Reds, considering they gave up Yonder Alonzo, who was a top notch prospect who also played first base.

It also means that the face of the franchise may be gone after this season. Some know him as @datdudeBP if you follow him on twitter and others just call him "Phillips." Either way, Brandon Phillips is in the last year of his contract. He will be 31 years-old at the end of the season. I can't blame the Reds for locking up Votto, who is three-years younger and an MVP calibur talent. Brandon Phillips is an All-Star, but he is not an MVP.

It seemed as though the Reds were still going to invest money in Phillips and either trade, or let Votto walk. I believe many Reds fans wanted tried to convince themselves resigning Phillips was the best option. But, deep down, they knew letting Votto leave Cincinnati would be a mistake. Now, the Reds have struck a long-term deal with a player who could go down as one of the best to ever wear a Cincinnati uniform.

Joey Votto is only 28-years old. He is an above average defender and a player who’s more than capable of batting .320, while hitting 40 home runs and knocking in over 100 rbi’s every year. He is the best hitter in the National League and I don’t think many people will debate that.

Reds management knows what Votto brings to the table and that talent is untradeable. The Reds would never have received equal value for Votto and that is why the decision to keep him in Cincinnati is so crucial. He will produce year-in and year-out. It shows the fans, the community and the country that the Cincinnati Reds are all about winning and they are willing to spend money to win.
Cincinnati hasn’t had news like this since the Ken Griffey Jr. trade in 2000. The difference between the two is that Votto is still in his prime and doesn’t have the wear and tear that Griffey had when he came to Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati Reds want to win and they believe that Joey Votto will be a major contributor and big part of the future of the success of the organization. If someone likes a house enough to buy it, they obviously think the house fits them. They may plan to have kids and watch them grow in that house. But if they know that it will be a highly competitive market, why not make an offer that is too good for the owners to pass up?

Cincinnati did that with Joey Votto. If the Reds truly believe Joey Votto can be an MVP-calibur player for years to come and the face of the Cincinnati Reds, then this deal is a no-brainer. They gave Votto an offer too good to pass up and now he will be able to lead the team for the next decade.

Time will tell on whether or not the investment will pay off. Regardless, it is obvious the Cincinnati Reds want to get back to their winning tradition.

Joey Votto's new contract is proof the Cincinnati Reds
want to win now, and in the future.