Coming off an MVP season, Joey Votto's going to get a nice raise to stay in Cincinnati.
MLB.com cites baseball sources saying that the Reds and Votto have agreed to terms on a contract extension that will keep the 2010 NL MVP with the Reds through 2013. The extension is a three-year deal worth $38 million.
Votto made $525,000 last season while hitting .324, slamming 37 home runs, tallying 114 RBI, leading the NL in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and leading the Reds to the NL Central Division title. He's earned this raise, and maybe more.
Votto's return is a feel-good story, as well: he battled depression early in his career, and has been open about the effects of his condition on his life and play, something that is still a rarity for professional athletes.
Locking up Votto gives the Reds an exciting core of young talent. Votto and Jay Bruce will anchor the Cincy lineup for at least the next three years, while the Reds' surfeit of young arms — Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Travis Wood, Mike Leake, Homer Bailey, and Aroldis Chapman all have shots at becoming aces — gives Reds fans plenty of reasons to be happy about the pitching situation in Cincinnati.