Luis Edu
The Cincinnati Reds are one of the teams with most history in the MLB, and in this list, we’ll let you know the franchise’s best contracts heading into the 2022 campaign.
Sonny Gray
The right pitcher signed a 3-year, $30.5 million extension with the Reds, resulting in an annual salary of just over $10 million.
After 3 campaigns playing with the Reds, Gray’s best performance was in his first year (2019), when he posted a 2.87 ERA after 31 starts, with a record of 11 wins and 8 losses.
Nick Castellanos
In recent years, Nick Castellanos has become one of the best right hitters in the league, so it’s no wonder he’s among the Reds’ highest-paid players.
The outfielder came to a 4-year, $64 million deal, money that has had a significant return for the franchise, as Castellanos is coming off the best performance of his career, registering a .309 average with 34 homers and 100 RBIs.
Let’s remember that the player was once a star prospect for the Detroit Tigers, but in that team he was never able to show all his talent.
Mike Moustakas
Mike Moustakas is a left-handed hitter who has not been able in Cincinnati to emulate the good numbers he got playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, due in part to the fact that he has been severely limited by physical problems.
The slugger holds a 4-year, $64 million contract, resulting in an annual salary of $16 million. A lot of money for a player who has hit just 14 home runs in the last two campaigns.
What is most concerning about Moustakas is his low average, which finished at .208 in 2021 after totaling 183 at-bats. In addition, OBP was nowhere near .300 (.282).
Eugenio Suárez
Eugenio Suárez has become one of the Reds’ offensive standouts, mainly thanks to his impressive display of physical strength.
The Venezuelan infielder has a 6-year, $66 million deal with Cincinnati, which translates into a base salary of $11 million. It’s not a lot of money, if we consider that we are talking about a baseball player who in 2019 connected 49 homers.
Beyond his power with the bat, Suarez has shown the ability to play well at shortstop and third base, something that gives him even more value as a player.
Joey Votto
Joey Votto is in the home stretch of his major league career, but he remains one of the hardest hitters to play against.
The Canadian first baseman currently has an active 10-year, $225 million contract with the Reds, a deal that earns him $22.5 million per campaign.
After suffering from various physical problems recently, Votto had a very good performance in 2021, totaling an impressive 36 home runs and 99 RBIs. In addition, he posted a remarkable .375 OBP.
At 38 years old, Joey Votto remains one of the top performers in a Cincinnati lineup that appears to have enough depth to be competitive in the National League Central Division in 2022.
