Cincinnati Reds’ Batman and Robin – Joey Votto and Zack Cozart

The Dynamic Duo is headed from the Queen City to Miami for the Cincinnati Reds

What a year it’s been for the Cincinnati Reds. They started the year at the top of the division, and now are in the basement. But in contrast, there have been breakout years of outfielder Scott Schebler and second baseman Scooter Gennett among others. This franchise is in the midst of a rebuilding project that has gone along better than expected. Their defense has helped out, and the offense is mashing.

The highlight has been All Star selections out of Joey Votto and Zack Cozart. They have been staples in the Reds’ lineup for numerous years. The duo has been great together, and it will be seen how long they have left. But at this point they are both having career seasons, which has benefitted hope for Cincy fans.

Cincinnati Reds’ Joey Votto: The beast from the East

The Reds’ first basemen was drafted 44th overall in the 2002 MLB Draft. At an early age, Votto was a solid bat. It translated in his first taste of rookie ball, in which he hit .269 with 9 home runs in 50 games. His bat improved after a couple seasons, as he hit .319 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs, which was at Chattanooga. The lefty had his cup of coffee in 2007, where he made the most of it batting .321/.360/.548 in 89 plate appearances. He put his name on the map in his first full season in the Bigs, hitting .297 with 24 home runs and 84 RBIs in 589 plate appearances. Since that time, he has mashed ever since. The Toronto born has bashed a career 245 homers and is sporting a career .313 batting average also. His only lost year was in 2014, where he injured his quad.

The Canadian has accumulated a 50.2 WAR during his time in the Major leagues. He also has been one of the most patient hitters at the plate. This season, Votto has only swung at pitches out of the strike zone 18.6% of the time. The lefty mostly swings at pitches in the zone, which is due to his 74.3% this season. This has definitely stacked his batting average to where it is at .312. The first baseman signed a monster deal in 2014 that was 10 years/$225 million with an option year. That may look like a massive amount for Votto, but he is actually overplaying the value of the contract. Since 2014, he has been worth $127.7 million dollars.

Slick fielding shortstop who can handle the stick for the Cincinnati Reds

He can field his position, and handle the bat as well. Zack Cozart has been consistent with the glove, which amplifies the production at the plate. In 2007, the infielder was taken 79th overall in the MLB Draft. He got off to a rocky start in rookie ball, as to his .239/.288/.332 slash line. Cozart adjusted the next season as he hit .280 with 14 home runs at A ball. From then on, the shortstop had asserted himself as the Reds’ everyday player at the keystone in 2012. That year, the righty hit .246 with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs. Not a great batting average, but produced a 2.3 WAR that season. Also, the shortstop had a 13.9 Def metric, which meant that he was a great fielder. Cozart’s specialty has been the glove, and he has some pop.

All except this season, the Reds’ shortstop hasn’t hit over .260. But with that said, he has bashed 67 home runs over the course of his career. Albeit, Cozart has accumulated a 57.4 Def since he came to the majors. He has been a tremendous value at the keystone, and any pop at the plate is a plus. If he can keep that up, the infielder should be in for a solid payday in the offseason. Cozart is making $5.3 million dollars this year. But his value has been $22.1 on the market, which will be interesting to see what he signs on to in free agency. But for now it has been nice to see this duo keep this team intriguing, not only for the franchise, but for the fans too.

How long will they be together?

If this wasn’t baseball, these two would be able to play alongside each other for the next five years. But rebuilds almost require the sell off to all veterans, especially ones that are playing well. With that said, it wouldn’t be surprising if Cozart is dealt, due to his good production and free agency looming.

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Cincinnati might look to extend him, but it doesn’t seem likely at the moment. Votto signed an extension three years ago. Only time will tell. The Reds’ have not signed veterans to notable contracts in recent years, other than Votto. It will be interesting to see what unfolds going forward, All Star Game and after.