An intriguing report from ESPN’s Buster Olney:
Rival executives getting signals that the Reds won’t shop Joey Votto -- but that they are fully prepared to listen to offers.
Votto is owed a bargain $9.5 million salary in 2012, but that number jumps sharply to $17 million in 2013 and the Canadian-born first baseman will be a free agent heading into 2014. If the Reds are already resigned to the fact that they won’t be able to afford a long-term extension, they might as well get max value for Votto before he gets a whiff of the open market.
Votto batted .309 with a .947 OPS, 29 home runs and 103 RBI in 161 games this season. He posted a 1.024 OPS, 37 home runs and 113 RBI over 150 games in 2010 to earn National League MVP honors.