From Jon Heyman:

Quote:One obvious reason Votto, who hit .309 with 29 home runs, 110 RBI and a league-leading .415 on-base percentage in 2011, is hoping Pujols and Fielder show they are worthy of those mega deals is that he hopes to follow their lead. That goes for the contract. But it doesn't necessarily mean Votto sees himself leaving Cincinnati. Although he said the Reds haven't approached him yet about a new deal, his heart seems to be in Cincinnati.

"I'm very proud I'm with the Reds,'' Votto said at one point.

When asked if he'd like to stay, he answered, "I definitely do."

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/jo...ery-long-deals
__________________

Cincinnati seems to have everything Joey wants but unlimited money. He is a very thoughtful, introspective young man who loves his spatial privacy and he is allowed that here. He would be in many other places. While all teams have their share of idiot fans (the word is a derivative of fanatic) it seems that we have fans who believe in a hands-off attitude and are basically respective.

If Walt can come up with mammoth money, and I'm looking in the $25M per annum category, I can see Joey signing on for another 3 year term after this one. He has stated he does not want a long term deal.

The Reds can't afford to tie up 30% of the payroll in one player. Unless there is a huge boost in payroll, I don't see him staying here, he will likely be traded.

If the Votto would sign for 3 years... 25 million per would be worth it. I don't see him signing for less than 6, however. Just seems that is a risky proposition.

The OP's link doesn't work but here's the title and first few sentences of the article since it doesn't seem like many read it:

Quote:Superstar Votto expresses fondness for both Reds, very long deals
By Jon Heyman | Baseball Insider

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- If the Blue Jays stick to their five-year maximum policy for player contracts, they can forget luring Reds superstar Joey Votto back home to Toronto when he's a free agent.

"It would be tough for a [top] position player to sign for five years. No matter how fond a person is of the city, players have to maximize the number of years,"Votto said.

Now the article goes on:

Quote:The thoughtful star explained that the best players should prioritize the length of the contract when they are in their prime because "teams aren't anxious to sign players who are 35 or 36 anymore.''

so I guess it's possible that Votto (age 28) would be open to a shorter contract followed by another at say age 32 IF his main goal is to avoid being a free agent at 35/36. But he also says:

Quote:To get nine or 10 years is what most (top) players look to. ...

Votto's tough to read, but it sure sounds to me that he's going for a 9-10 year deal ala Fielder and Pujols and that a 3 year deal ain't happenin'.

The Reds are going to have to be creative if they want to sign him long-term. Deferred money is probably going to play a large role.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triang...nnati-reds

Quote:2012 MLB Season Preview: Cincinnati Reds
By Jonah Keri on February 16, 2012 10:51 AM ET

Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder have fled the division. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds kept their marquee first baseman, added a potential ace, and bolstered a bullpen that needed the help. With Joey Votto and Mat Latos leading a talented group of twentysomething blue-chippers, Ryan Madson and Sean Marshall ready to close out games, a premium prospect like Devin Mesoraco poised to crash the lineup, and the rest of the division either potentially weakened (Cardinals, Brewers) or just weak (Pirates, Cubs, Astros), the Reds are being picked by many to win their second NL Central title in three years. It's a pretty damn defensible pick.

LINEUP (Bill James projections: AVG/OBP/SLG, wOBA)
2B Brandon Phillips (.279/.334/.435, .332)
SS Zack Cozart (.256/.306/.404, .315)
1B Joey Votto (.310/.412/.547, .408)
RF Jay Bruce (.270/.349/.510, .363)
3B Scott Rolen (.268/.338/.434, .334)
LF Ryan Ludwick (.249/.325/.426, .323)
CF Drew Stubbs (.258/.336/.403, .331)
C Ryan Hanigan (.275/.362/.367, .324)

As one of the top five hitters in the game, Votto dwarfs the rest of the lineup. There was some speculation that he might be shopped this offseason, with two years left on his contract before free agency (including a $17 million salary next season) and a Reds club that looked several pitchers short of contending for a division title. Credit Walt Jocketty and company for realizing that Votto's a bargain even at $17 million (let alone the $9.5 million he's making in 2012), that the division was up for grabs, and that pitching could be acquired cheaply if you're willing to be patient.

Still, it'd be great if Votto had a top-tier running mate, a role Reds fans hope Bruce can fill soon-to-now. And Stubbs, who has some impressive raw tools and a track of converting them into results (37 homers and 70 steals over the past two seasons), seems like another breakout pick. But his strikeout rate reached a career high last year (30.1 percent, second highest among all qualified hitters in 2011), and he's still not walking enough to be much of an on-base threat. The bonus here is at catcher, where Hanigan wields a .371 career on-base percentage and Mesoraco brings power potential as the heir apparent.

ROTATION (Bill James projections: IP, FIP)
Johnny Cueto (198, 4.02)
Mat Latos (211, 3.11)
Mike Leake (178, 4.47)
Bronson Arroyo (207, 4.68)
Homer Bailey (166, 3.88)

The Reds raided their farm system to get Latos, but the move brought a pitcher with an excellent performance record and no notable ballpark splits, despite pitching half his games at Petco Park. Latos' projection does look optimistic moving to Great American Ball Park's far more homer-happy confines, but the combination of Latos and Cueto (second-in-the-league 2.31 ERA and a strong 3.45 FIP last year) should match up well with any other top two in the division. Arroyo remains durable but might be near the end of the road after pitching below replacement level last year. Don't be surprised if the Reds make further upgrades to their rotation, either by winning the Great Roy Oswalt Bluffathon or by doing something at the deadline. As is, grabbing Sean Marshall for a B prospect (microscopic 2.28 and 1.86 FIPs in the past two seasons) and waiting out the market for Ryan Madson (one year, $8.5 million, instead of the $40 million-plus he was reportedly offered by the Phillies at the start of the hot stove season) make Jocketty an early favorite for Executive of the Year. That improved bullpen depth should prove especially useful as Bailey and Leake work on pitching deeper into games.

BREAKOUT PICK
Bruce. How long have we heard about his peak-Adam Dunn power, but with fewer walks and strikeouts and a lot more defense and athleticism? He's making progress, setting career highs in homers (32) and walk rate (10.7 percent) last year, but there still seems to be something missing. Acknowledging the fickle nature of small sample sizes, it's still maddening to see Bruce slug 12 homers with an 1.141 OPS like he did last May, only to manage nothing better than an .825 mark in any other month. It might just be a matter of pitch recognition: PITCHf/x highlights Bruce's success against fastballs, but also his relative struggles against breaking stuff. The guy plays good defense in right, runs the bases well for a big man, and is a better-than-average hitter before his 25th birthday. The best may be yet to come.

IF EVERYTHING BREAKS RIGHT
The Reds vie for their first World Series title in 22 years. No, really. You can go to war with Cueto and Latos at the top of your rotation, one of the best lefty-righty bullpen combos in the game in Marshall and Madson, Votto scaring the bejesus out of even the most dominant pitchers, and a supporting cast that gets better-than-expected results out of Bruce, Stubbs, and the catchers, with Phillips and Rolen holding their own.

IF EVERYTHING GOES WRONG
The rotation is a disaster after the top two, Votto gets little help from his lineup mates, and the Cardinals and Brewers prove more than capable of big seasons even with Pujols and Fielder gone. Votto might test free agency after 2013 regardless of how the Reds fare between now and then. A disappointing third-place finish combined with Phillips playing out his option might prompt Cincy to start rebuilding in earnest, and for Votto to be dealt at the end of this season. If that happens, Alex Anthopoulos might resort to Carrie Mathison-like tactics to bring the Toronto boy home.

Was watching the Reds edition of 30 Teams in 30 Days on MLB network. Plesac was wondering if Cozart was gonna be able to recover from his SHOULDER( huh?) injury. Yeah, these national media guys really have their fingers on the pulse of the team.