Reds 1B Joey Votto yesterday agreed to a 10-year, $225M contract extension through the '23 season that "continues a wild run of baseball spending," according to by Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY. The contract is the "fourth-largest deal in baseball history" (USA TODAY, 4/3). In Cincinnati, Paul Daugherty notes the Reds, buoyed by "expected money boosts from national and local television contracts, completed a deal that as recently as January nobody thought was possible." It is a "remarkable commitment from a small-money franchise," and it is an "encouraging development when a team such as the Reds can afford to keep its best player." Given the Reds' "financial position and Votto’s noncommittal attitude, it didn’t seem an extension would be possible." Teams in the Reds' money position "cannot afford to spend too much on one player." Daugherty asks, "Will the Reds boost the overall payroll enough to compensate for the big dollars given Votto?" Small-market teams "too often have to let those sorts of players go." Votto is "one that didn’t get away" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/3). ESPN.com's Dan Szymbroski noted Votto was "set to hit free agency following the 2013 season, and most people assumed the Reds couldn't afford him." By extending Votto's contract, the Reds are "keeping their best player in a long time in town for at least the vast majority of his career." Szymbroski wrote, "Even a sarcastic grump like me can give that one a thumbs-up" (ESPN.com, 4/2). However, NBCSPORTS.com's Matthew Pouliot wrote the deal is an "incredible commitment and a giant risk, given the number of years involved." In all, the Reds have committed to Votto for $251.5M through '23, when he will be 39 years old. Given that they "controlled him for two more years anyway, the Reds went too far overboard here." Pouliot: "This was about TV money and having a superstar in the fold as they seek to negotiate their next deal" (NBCSPORTS.com, 4/2).
| LARGEST CONTRACTS IN MLB HISTORY |
| PLAYER | FIRST YEAR OF DEAL | TEAM | TERMS |
| Alex Rodriguez | '08 | Yankees | 10yrs, $275M |
| Albert Pujols | '12 | Angels | 10yrs, $254M |
| Alex Rodriguez | '01 | Rangers | 10yrs, $252M |
| Joey Votto | '14 | Reds | 10yrs, $225M |
| Prince Fielder | '12 | Tigers | 9yrs, $214M |
| Derek Jeter | '01 | Yankees | 10yrs, $189M |
| Joe Mauer | '11 | Twins | 8yrs, $184M |
| Mark Teixeira | '09 | Yankees | 8yrs, $180M |
| CC Sabathia | '09 | Yankees | 7yrs, $161M |
| Manny Ramirez | '01 | Red Sox | 8yrs, $160M |
| | | | |
CAIN IS ABLE: In S.F., John Shea notes the Giants yesterday signed P Matt Cain to a five-year, $112.5M contract extension, which is the "largest contract in history for a right-handed pitcher, surpassing Kevin Brown's $105 million." Shea notes several $100M contracts for pitchers have "backfired, and the Giants have an example on staff" in P Barry Zito. But $100M is the "going rate for premier pitchers, and Cain is one." Cain is 27 and will be just 32 when the contract is up (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/3). In San Jose, Mark Purdy writes if Cain is "going to live up to an absurdly rich long-term deal, the best place for Cain to accomplish it will be at AT&T Park with a Giants ownership and front office that has shown they will spend money to keep a contending team together." The Giants have "committed a yellow brick road of dough to Cain." It is "quite a haul for a pitcher who has never won a Cy Young Award -- or even finished in the top seven of balloting -- and has never won more than 14 games in a season" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 4/3). In Oakland, Monte Poole writes the Giants "stepped up in a major way, which has to delight those fans already stretching their wallets to buy tickets" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 4/3).
