Hot Stove: Reds should consider trading Joey Votto as part of rebuild
After trading Aroldis Chapman and Todd Frazier, the Reds should consider trading Joey Votto as the next part of their rebuild.
By
Mike Axisa
•
3 min read
The Reds are currently in the middle of a massive rebuilding process. If there was any lingering doubt, it was crushed by the Todd Frazier and Aroldis Chapman trades this month. Cincinnati is focusing on the future, not the present.
The tear down phase of a rebuild can be quite ugly, and, frankly, the realization a lot of losing is in the near future can't be a fun experience for both fans and the team. Rebuilds are necessary -- especially for small market teams like the Reds -- but also unpleasant. Everyone wants to win.
With the Reds fully committed to tearing things down, the team should now look to trade the ultra-productive Joey Votto. The 32-year-old hit .314/.459/.541 (174 OPS+) with 29 home runs in 2015, earning him a third place finish in the NL MVP voting.
Votto would undoubtedly be a major boost for several contenders. The Cardinals and Blue Jays immediately jump to mind. St. Louis is looking to add offense and Votto would give them a big middle of the order bat. The Blue Jays have offense to spare, but Justin Smoak and Chris Colabello are no obstacle at first base. Votto is from Toronto and would give the team another offensive building block with Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion a year away from free agency.
Of course, trading Votto is much easier said than done. For starters, there's his monster contract, which will pay him $199 million over the next nine years. Not every team can afford that, and among the teams that can afford it, why wouldn't they just sign Chris Davis instead? Votto's a better hitter but Davis figures to be cheaper, and you get to keep your prospects.
There's also the issue of Votto's no-trade clause. He has full no-trade protection thanks to his contract, and few weeks ago he said he very much enjoys being with the Reds and has no desire to leave despite the rebuild. From MLB.com's Mark Sheldon:
"I absolutely love playing here," Votto said during Redsfest on Friday. "When all this trade stuff gets going, it's natural for a player to have that thought process and what would you consider? I just absolutely love playing here. I really like where I live. I like my team and my job. I like the location of the ballpark and the fans and the clubhouse and the uniform and the number on my back -- all the littlest things that people take for granted are very comfortable to me and something I look forward to. I don't think of myself as anything other than a Cincinnati Red. It's one of the really cool things about having a no-trade clause. I'm one of the rare players who has that. I get to stay a Cincinnati Red.
"I look at guys in all kinds of different sports and I admire the players that stick with one franchise and do well and ride out the rough times and experience the highs, instead of it being the kind of experience that you consume."
Votto doesn't exactly sound eager to leave Cincinnati, so it's entirely possible the idea of trading him is a waste of time. He won't accept a trade and that's that. It's also possible Votto may change his mind at some point, after a few weeks or seasons of constant losing in the rough NL Central.
There is no place for half-measures in a rebuild for a small market team like the Reds. If you're going to rebuild, you have to full commit and tear it all down if you want to turn things around as quickly and as best as possible. To Cincinnati's credit, they've done that. Trading Frazier couldn't have been easy.
That's why the front office needs to at least explore trading Votto. Gauge the market, see what kind of interest there is, and run it by him. Who knows, maybe playing at home in Toronto or for the contending Cardinals appeals to Votto and he decides to agree to a trade. It doesn't cost the Reds anything to look into it.
Votto's a truly great player, but the Reds don't need an over-30 first baseman making huge money during their rebuild. Trying to trade him now, while he's still immensely productive, is the best move for the franchise going forward.
