Photo of Cincinnati Reds GM Walt Jocketty. 

Image Credit: Monowi - Flickr (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Cincinnati Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty once stated that to be successful in baseball, a team must have a core group of players and then you add to the mix free agents and minor league prospects. Within the past two weeks, the former St. Louis Cardinals GM is making it obvious just who the Reds consider their core. After outfielder Jay Bruce's contract was extended thru 2016 last year, Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips will now both likely play in Cincinnati for the rest of their careers. 

Joey Votto's contract - a whopping $225 million spread over 10 seasons makes him among the highest paid players in Major League Baseball. Phillips' contract is in excess of $70 million dollars for six seasons; a deal Brandon Phillips has been seeking for two seasons. All the same, the Reds had a plethora of talent at the minor league level and have since sent a number of them away via trade to stock the bullpen. Such players include Yasmani Grandal, Yonder Alonso, Juan Francisco and Chris Dickerson. Let's hope within the next four or five seasons, the ball club will be able to be as successful as they have been with the minor league class of Drew Stubbs, Chris Heisey, Jay Bruce and pitcher Mike Leake.

The main question is this. Where did the Reds get this kind of money to spend on players? Perhaps Jocketty is spending at a deficit which is maybe what the Miami Marlins are also doing; all in an attempt to field a winner and get fans into the ballpark. The Reds have continuously drawn criticism for their weak turnout for weeknight games. For any weekend game, owner Bob Castellini and the Reds can always expect a large turnout. If there is one thing that is for certain, it's that no promotion or giveaway can outmatch a winning and dominant team in terms of attendance. Large attendances are what the Cincinnati Reds need to fulfill these upcoming salaries.

 

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