Edinson Volquez agrees to 1-year deal with Reds

We won’t tease you with the headline that “Volquez and Reds agree to deal”. This is because this is not anything special. In fact, it’s the opposite.

“We’ll see if they’re up for doing more later,” Jocketty said Sunday from a Reds Caravan stop in Lexington. “We tried to do a multiyear deal. They just wanted to concentrate on the one year now. [Volquez’s agent] had a few cases and wanted to get the arbitration thing out of the way.”

John Fay adds the following:

The Reds tried to get a multiyear deal done, but Volquez wanted a one-year deal.

Now why do you think this is? Let us translate the situation for you. Volquez took the one year deal raise, but didn’t want a longer deal so that if he does jump off the page and pitch like an ace in 2011 he can command huge dollars.

Basically what this means is if Volquez becomes the pitcher the Reds expect him to be–he’s only under their control for this year and unless they pay him like an ace (less money for Joey Votto and other young players who will be due for a raise) they’re going to lose the guy they traded Josh Hamilton to acquire.

Volquez didn’t want to pidgeon-hole himself on the Reds longer than just this year so he can break the bank. At least, that’s what it appears.