Reds willing to listen to offers for Votto

[Clem Fandango]

ESPN's Buster Olney reports the Reds are prepared to listen to offers on first baseman Joey Votto.

This confirms earlier reports that Votto could be available at the right price, as the Reds have limited payroll and will need to make cutbacks. While it seems abstract to trade Votto in his prime, GM Walt Jocketty is expected to entertain offers given the emergence of Yonder Alonso, who has the potential to fill the void at first base. Votto is due $17 million in 2013 and becomes a free agent in 2014. The $17 million price tag accounts for 20 percent of an $85 million budget, which is what the Reds payroll figures to be in 2013.

[sneakypower]

ready to part with Castro?

 

yeah i didn't think so

[Hairyducked Idiot]

ready to part with Castro?

 

yeah i didn't think so

 

For Votto? Possibly

[TruffleShuffle]

i'd rather they keep alonso and play him in LF, that was good for some laughs.

[Sammy Sofa]

ready to part with Castro?

 

yeah i didn't think so

 

For Votto? Possibly

 

Yeah, I'd definitely pause over that one.

[sneakypower]

i wouldn't, even for a second

 

keep Castro and just sign Fielder instead; you'd only get 2 years of Votto for relatively cheap before having to extend him to a similarly huge contract anyway

[OleMissCub]

ready to part with Castro?

 

yeah i didn't think so

 

I think the Reds are pretty high on Cozart at SS right now.

[DivineBovine]

Well, considering that Votto would have to be paid a crapload of money and Castro is cheap, its not a fair comparison. But if Castro is ever half the player Votto is, I'd be very pleasantly surprised.

[Little Slide Rooter]

For them to send their top player to a divisional rival would have a massive premium. Probably Castro, Cashner, plus a few prospects.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

i wouldn't, even for a second

 

keep Castro and just sign Fielder instead; you'd only get 2 years of Votto for relatively cheap before having to extend him to a similarly huge contract anyway

 

What if Fielder decides to sign somewhere else?

 

The Cubs are supposed to be leveraging their money into premium talent. Votto is about as premium as it gets. Cheap talent is nice, but we don't need it the way some teams need it.

[mookie]

This is the guy to get out of the three. From the press, it seems like they will listen, but definitely will need to be blown away. I don't think I could be down for this unless it didn't involve Castro.

[ELCABALLO45]

Random, but I read somewhere that Votto last year (2010) had like 1 pop up the entire year or something like that. That is incredible.

[BeerHere]

i wouldn't, even for a second

 

keep Castro and just sign Fielder instead; you'd only get 2 years of Votto for relatively cheap before having to extend him to a similarly huge contract anyway

 

What if Fielder decides to sign somewhere else?

 

The Cubs are supposed to be leveraging their money into premium talent. Votto is about as premium as it gets. Cheap talent is nice, but we don't need it the way some teams need it.

If it were just Castro I would do it in a second. The fact that the Reds are in the division and Votto is a stud tells me that it will take more than Castro, probably throw in Jackson and/or Cashner. If that is the price, I pass. Castro straight up, I would hate to do it but I would do it none the less.

[Little Slide Rooter]

i wouldn't, even for a second

 

keep Castro and just sign Fielder instead; you'd only get 2 years of Votto for relatively cheap before having to extend him to a similarly huge contract anyway

 

What if Fielder decides to sign somewhere else?

 

The Cubs are supposed to be leveraging their money into premium talent. Votto is about as premium as it gets. Cheap talent is nice, but we don't need it the way some teams need it.

If it were just Castro I would do it in a second. The fact that the Reds are in the division and Votto is a stud tells me that it will take more than Castro, probably throw in Jackson and/or Cashner. If that is the price, I pass. Castro straight up, I would hate to do it but I would do it none the less.

 

Assuming we could lock up Votto, who's a free agent after next season, I'd have to agree. If it was just Castro, and maybe a few other pieces, but nothing major like Jackson or Cashner. If there was any question whether or not we could lock him up, no thanks.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

i wouldn't, even for a second

 

keep Castro and just sign Fielder instead; you'd only get 2 years of Votto for relatively cheap before having to extend him to a similarly huge contract anyway

 

What if Fielder decides to sign somewhere else?

 

The Cubs are supposed to be leveraging their money into premium talent. Votto is about as premium as it gets. Cheap talent is nice, but we don't need it the way some teams need it.

 

They're also supposed to be keeping premium talent, which Castro probably is.

 

I wouldnt do it. I want a strong bat at 1B but not at the price of losing a strong bat at SS.

[Atta Boy]

I'm almost positive I read something last year about how much Votto hates the Cubs and all of their fans. I would love to have the guy but he probably wouldn't extend with us.

[davell]

Pretty sure I read the same thing about Votto hating all things Cub related.....Still, even if that wasn't the case, I'm not trading Castro for him. As great as Votto is, it's easier to find someone who'll get us close to his production than what it will take to find a SS who'll be able to come close to Castro at an elite position will be doing over the next few seasons in all likelihood.

[SouthSideRyan]

I hope Castro is a huge dick to Cubs fans, because they deserve it.

[Exile on Waveland]

Hope this is true and Votto is traded. Not only would it take him out of the division (presumably), but would also eliminate one team from the Pujols/Fielder sweepstakes.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I'm almost positive I read something last year about how much Votto hates the Cubs and all of their fans. I would love to have the guy but he probably wouldn't extend with us.

 

What he said was regarding the all star team. Something like no matter what, he wouldn't be able to shake hands with The Cubs representative, who I think was Marlon Byrd at the time.

[dew1679666265]

I hope Castro is a huge dick to Cubs fans, because they deserve it.

 

What brought this on? Most of the people in this thread who have said they'd trade Castro have said they'd do it begrudgingly. And I don't see why it's an affront to Castro to say you'd trade him as the centerpiece for a first baseman who's 28 and has posted WARs of 6.9 and 7.3 the past two years and never had one less than 4.0 in a full season.

 

Personally, my ideal situation would be to pursue Fielder/Pujols and keep Castro, but I can't say a Votto/Castro swap (of some sorts) would be that dumb a move.

[Exile on Waveland]

I hope Castro is a huge dick to Cubs fans, because they deserve it.

 

What brought this on? Most of the people in this thread who have said they'd trade Castro have said they'd do it begrudgingly. And I don't see why it's an affront to Castro to say you'd trade him as the centerpiece for a first baseman who's 28 and has posted WARs of 6.9 and 7.3 the past two years and never had one less than 4.0 in a full season.

 

Personally, my ideal situation would be to pursue Fielder/Pujols and keep Castro, but I can't say a Votto/Castro swap (of some sorts) would be that dumb a move.

 

I suspect he's talking about the racist meatballs, not the posters in this thread.

[dew1679666265]

I hope Castro is a huge dick to Cubs fans, because they deserve it.

 

What brought this on? Most of the people in this thread who have said they'd trade Castro have said they'd do it begrudgingly. And I don't see why it's an affront to Castro to say you'd trade him as the centerpiece for a first baseman who's 28 and has posted WARs of 6.9 and 7.3 the past two years and never had one less than 4.0 in a full season.

 

Personally, my ideal situation would be to pursue Fielder/Pujols and keep Castro, but I can't say a Votto/Castro swap (of some sorts) would be that dumb a move.

 

I suspect he's talking about the racist meatballs, not the posters in this thread.

 

I was thinking that, but it seemed really random if that's why.

[Exile on Waveland]

I hope Castro is a huge dick to Cubs fans, because they deserve it.

 

What brought this on? Most of the people in this thread who have said they'd trade Castro have said they'd do it begrudgingly. And I don't see why it's an affront to Castro to say you'd trade him as the centerpiece for a first baseman who's 28 and has posted WARs of 6.9 and 7.3 the past two years and never had one less than 4.0 in a full season.

 

Personally, my ideal situation would be to pursue Fielder/Pujols and keep Castro, but I can't say a Votto/Castro swap (of some sorts) would be that dumb a move.

 

I suspect he's talking about the racist meatballs, not the posters in this thread.

 

I was thinking that, but it seemed really random if that's why.

 

Agreed; it really did. But it is, after all, SSR. He talks to himself in threads.

[Clem Fandango]

So much for that...

 

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said Monday that he has no plans to trade Joey Votto.

Buster Olney of ESPN.com reported over the weekend that the Reds were prepared to listen to offers for the 2010 NL MVP, but Jocketty emphatically denied those claims Monday. "We haven’t talked about it. I wish that people would stop writing it," said Jocketty. "Why would we trade one of the best players in the game? We’re trying to win." Votto, 28, is set to earn $9 million in 2012 and $17 million in 2013 before becoming a free agent.