The Cincinnati Reds have been extremely busy this offseason. An unorthodox amount of spending by general manager Walt Jocketty and a depletion of the farm system through trades now has the Reds in “win now” mode.
While the Reds have broken the bank to compete for a championship now, the team has to be concerned about the future. Arguably the best second baseman in the league, Brandon Phillips, will be a free agent once the season is over.
First baseman Joey Votto, the 2012 National League Most Valuable Player, will hit free agency in two years after earning $9.5 million in 2012 and $17 million in 2013 along with $3.5 million of his signing bonus.
Jocketty appears to be well aware of the upcoming issues, but realizes that fans need to temper expectations when it comes to extending Phillips and Votto:
Both he and [Joey] Votto are guys that we want to try and sign long-term because they are a big part of our ballclub. Everyone has to understand that these are expensive deals and there is only so much we can do.
Expensive is right. Phillips is set to make $12 million in 2012, and retaining him would cost about that much per year. His contract isn’t as big of an issue as Votto’s, and will likely get done.
The market has been set high for elite first basemen this past offseason. Albert Pujols signed a 10-year deal worth $240 million, and Prince Fielder signed a nine-year contract worth $214 million. Votto shares the same agent as Pujols, and it’s fair to guess that he will be looking for similar numbers for Votto.
Votto is still owed $26.5 million for the remainder of his contract, and some analysts are predicting it will take an additional $161 million commitment, or $23 million per year to keep Votto in the Queen City.
A good indication of whether the Reds are going to make a strong effort at retaining Votto is the fact the team dealt his potential successor, Yonder Alonso. Alonso was part of a deal this offseason that saw the Reds land pitching ace Mat Latos.
For a small-market team like the Reds, retaining both players will be very difficult to do. The Reds were projected to bump the team payroll up to around $85 million for 2012, but beyond that is hard to predict. A team that is well under a $100-million payroll typically has major issues retaining big names.
The one thing that can ensure Phillips and Votto stay with Cincinnati for the next five years or more is simple: winning. Winning means more tickets sold, and higher revenue means a larger payroll to bring back important pieces.
While the Reds went all out to win now, they may have also ensured the return of Cincinnati’s two most important players.
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