On This Day in History: Cincinnati Reds Legend Signs Three-Year, $38 Million Extension

On January 16, 2011, the Cincinnati Reds and star first baseman Joey Votto agreed to a three-year, $38 million contract extension.

The Reds were hoping to lock up the 2010 National League's Most Valuable Player for a few years, but Votto was not willing to agree to a longer-term contract at the time. The deal bought out his arbitration years and ultimately set up the long-term extension he received the following season.

Votto played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, all with the Reds. He made his debut on September 4, 2007, and hit a home run in his first career at-bat. In 2008, he slashed .297/.368/.506 with 24 home runs. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto.

He was a six-time All-Star, the 2010 MVP, and won a Gold Glove Award that same season. He led the League in on-base percentage seven times in his career, led in OPS twice, slugging once, and led in walks five times.

Votto had many legendary moments for the Reds. He famously hit three home runs in a game on Mother's Day in 2012. His third home run was a walk-off grand slam. During a doubleheader in 2015, he reached base nine times between both games. He went 5-6 with four walks. In 2021, the then 37-year-old went on a power surge, hitting a home run in seven consecutive games, with it ending coming up just shy of clearing the wall in the eighth game in Citi Field in New York.

For his career, he has 2,135 hits, 356 home runs, 1,144 RBIs, 459 doubles, is a career .294/.409/.511 hitter, and has a career 63.6 WAR. He ranks fourth in WAR, second in on-base percentage, second in doubles, and second in home runs in Reds history. He will be Hall of Fame eligible in 2029.

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