MLB 2017: One prediction for each team

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Sep 27, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) leans against the wall near the on deck circle during the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won 12-5. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto is still tired of losing

As the Reds go about their rebuild, the most interesting thing about them is seeing Joey Votto take out his frustration on unsuspecting fans. It’s hard to blame Votto for being more than a little salty as he plays out his prime on 98-loss teams. Unfortunately, his $225-million contract that runs through his age-39 season makes it almost impossible for the Reds to trade him, even if he were willing to accept a trade to a contender.

Votto has led the league in on-base percentage in five of the past seven seasons and is the active leader at .425 by 20 points. He has also finished with an OPS of 1.000 or better three times. After a small dip in production in 2014, Votto has gone back to being a walks, doubles and home run machine.

Unlike the Chicago White Sox, the Reds have not done a good job of executing their rebuild. Even after trading Aroldis Chapman, Johnny Cueto and Jay Bruce, they didn’t have a top-10 farm system after the trade deadline. They’re behind every other rebuilding team in the National League and are almost out of trade chips. All they can do now is hope Votto has enough of the losing to accept a trade to a contender. He’s comfortable in Cincinnati, but will not play for a winner in his prime years. Most big-market teams would be willing to take him on at $25 million per year as that is starting to look like a bargain by today’s standards.

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