So far the 2016 season has not been too kind to the Reds. They came into Sunday with a 9-15 record, third worst in the NL. Cincinnati has also been outscored by 53 runs (!), the most in baseball. Woof.
The Reds are rebuilding though, and they were expected to bad this season. I'm not sure anyone expected Joey Votto to play poorly, however. Votto came into Sunday hitting .229/.327/.313 (71 OPS+) with two home runs, numbers that are a far cry his typically elite production.
All players age and at some point the 32-year-old Votto's production will begin to slip permanently. He is not ready to accept that fate though. Votto told C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer he would rather walk away from his big contract than play poorly.
“It’s not something I’m OK with. I’d rather quit and leave all the money on the table than play at a poor level,” Votto said before Sunday’s game against the Pirates. “I’m here to play and be part of setting a standard. It’s something I’ve always taken pride in. I love to play at a really high level. So far this year, it’s not been that. I will not be a very satisfied, happy person if I don’t perform at the level that I expect.”
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“I signed up for a high-level of performance. I didn’t sign up for this just to make money,” Votto said. “It’s great and I don’t take it for granted. I appreciate every dime that comes my way. I just care a great deal — desperately. I refuse to accept my peak has past, I refuse to accept that my best days are in the past. I’m not there yet. I just don’t see that, I don’t feel that.”
Votto is currently in the third year of the 10-year, $225 million extension he signed back in 2012. He has $20 million coming to him this season plus another $179 million through 2023. That's an awful lot money.
It's rare but not unprecedented for a player to walk away from the game in the middle of a big contract. Michael Cuddyer retired this past offseason and left $12.5 million on the table, for example. A few years back Gil Meche walked away from $12 million because he was no longer effective.
Votto has been one of the most devastating hitters in baseball since he was first called up back in 2007. Just last season he hit .314/.459/.541 (174 OPS+) with 29 home runs, including an incredible .362/.535/.617 (216 OPS+) with 14 home runs in the second half. That earned him a third place finish in the NL MVP voting.
The Reds are rebuilding and it's fair to wonder whether they will be able to contend while Votto is still in his peak years. It is worth noting Votto is very much a student of the game and he keeps himself in great shape, which should help him remain productive well into his 30s. Few hitters are as smart as Votto.
I suspect the slow start to the 2016 is nothing more than that, a slow start and not the start of his decline phase. Votto will right the ship soon and go on one of those tears that remind you just how great of a hitter he truly is. The retirement question is still a long ways away.
