After winning the National League MVP award in 2010, Joey Votto signed a three-year, $38 million contract extension with the Cincinnati Reds. How much longer the team will be able to keep him has been the subject of some speculation over the past week.
The small-market Reds, whose $76 million payroll ranked 19th out of 30 MLB teams this season, may not be able to afford to re-sign Votto after his contract is up. However, Reds GM Walt Jocketty says there's no truth to the rumor that he's accepting trade offers for his All-Star first baseman.
"I'm not interested in that. To have a player who's one of the best hitters in the game -- and we try to build our offense around him -- I'd be more inclined to sign him long-term if we could beyond 2013 season," Jocketty told USA TODAY on Monday.
Votto, 28, will make $9.5 million next season and $17.5 million in 2013. If he were to offer his services on the free agent market, a deal like the seven-year, $154 million extension Adrian Gonzalez signed with the Boston Red Sox would take a huge chunk out of the Reds' payroll,
Free agent first basemen Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder are also poised to land huge free-agent contracts this offseason, which could set the bar extremely high for Votto's next deal.
However, Jocketty says re-signing Votto is an important step in the team's long-term future. "It may be cost-prohibitive, but I think it's something we at least have to explore before we consider anything else with him."
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