Votto and Cain Locked Up Long Term

The Cincinnati Reds have been trying to extend the contracts of all of their young stars. Probably the most important player to the team, first baseman Joey Votto, had yet to do that. However, that changed today. Votto came up through the minors in the Reds system and overcame bouts with depression and anxiety issues to reach stardom in the majors. Votto's breakout season was 2010 when he hit for .324 average, 37 home runs, 113 RBIs, and 106 runs. He was awarded for his excellent defensive play in 2011 when he won his first Gold Glove. Votto's new contract is a 10-year deal worth $225 million. This guarantees Votto would be the heart of the Reds' lineup for a very long time.

The San Francisco Giants have been trying to hold on to their stars from their World Series championship in 2010. One of the integral players to that improbable postseason run was starting pitcher Matt Cain. In that entire postseason, Cain impressively surrendered zero runs. The 27-year-old went 12-11 with a 2.88 ERA. That record is clearly skewed by the often anemic offense of the Giants. The contract Cain signed is a six-year extension worth $127.5 million. This makes Cain the highest-paid right-handed pitcher in baseball history. This seems like a great move, however, it must be considered that his overall record is only 69-73 with a 3.35 ERA. This is while making home starts in pitcher-friendly AT&T Park and within a weak NL West.

These are certainly not small amounts of money being thrown around. Votto's contract is the fourth largest in MLB history, and as I mentioned, Cain's is the highest for a right-handed pitcher ever. These deals are going to definitely have significant repercussions on future contracts to come. Many around baseball are realizing this right away. Milwaukee Brewers GM Doug Melvin said in regards to this, "There will be an impact, I'm sure. Any signing impacts other people who haven't signed." This means big contracts can be expected for pending free agents, such as Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels, and ultimately Cain's teammate Tim Lincecum. Baseball contracts are not getting any smaller. Days like today remind us of that.