$225 Million Will Get You a lot of Lattes

The Reds locked up Joey Votto today to a 10-year, $225 million dollar contract. It’s the largest contract in Cincinnati baseball history. Hell, it’s the largest contract in Cincinnati sports history.

I’m shocked by this, but extremely pleased. At the end of the day, I think Votto is going to age well and be extremely productive over the course of the next decade. It almost guarantees the franchise relevancy of some fashion well into the next era and roster nucleus.

The reactions will continue to roll in with some saying that the Reds went too far, or that the Reds got a bargain; I think it was somewhere in between and a fair deal.

I tip my cap to Reds owner Bob Castellini. The Reds ponied up and didn’t scrimp on this one. They kept their homegrown superstar in the Queen City for the length of his career. You could not ask for more from an owner in this type of market. Castellini is getting props all around the sports world right now.

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And give the Reds bonus credit for the timing of this announcement. The Votto signing comes as the Reds are headed home from Spring Training in Goodyear, Arizona; and perhaps will serve as the last act before a season to remember begins.