During a Foul Territory interview, former Cincinnati Reds great Joey Votto was asked what his top priority would be as general manager of the team.
"I would trade Elly for as many prospects as possible to start," Votto said. "Elly's going to get $650 million. Even if he doesn't get that number, he's 50 (million) to 60 (million) per year times seven, just to start, you know, let's say the CBA changes things. He's making 350 over the course of seven years minimum, six years minimum."
"Are you going to give up a half or a third of your payroll on one player?" Votto continued. "It doesn't make sense. I love Elly. I played with him in AAA. I played, I got, I watched him get called up. He is a leader. He is a talent getting better. He is all five tools. He's going to have a (Pete Crow-Armstrong) type year where he puts up 10 wins (over replacement) or where he puts up .900 OPS and, but he's done all these things.
"He's already done some fantastic things and he's only going to get better," Votto added. "He's 24, 25 years old. But some teams shouldn't be signing the big dog guys. You know, I was extended in Cincinnati on a 10, on a 12 year. Should they have signed me? No, no, they should have flipped me at year four and a half or a year at five. And then I would have entered free agency. I can tell you the raise. I can tell you the Brewers and the Guardians, unless I took 50 cents on the dollar, which I wouldn't have with the Reds. I should have. I should have. I would have been traded with them. So that's probably the first start. I just don't know the timing of it."
Earlier in October, Votto shared that he got an opportunity to see the clock he gave as a gift earlier in the year, during a visit to Crosley Terrace, outside the main entrance of Great American Ball Park.
In September, Votto replied to National Baseball Hall of Famer and Reds analyst Barry Larkin's rant that followed a 9-1 loss in the team's series finale against the Chicago Cubs by tweeting, "Captain Lark 100 (emoji)."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: As Reds' GM, Joey Votto would trade Elly De La Cruz for prospects