Cincinnati Reds: Does David Bell have the guts to make this bold move?

Joey Votto should be bumped down to No. 6 in the batting order.

Last night, the Cincinnati Reds swept the doubleheader at Miller Park against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Reds won Game 1 by a score of 6-1 and shut out the Brew Crew 6-0 in Game 2. Collectively, Cincinnati racked up 21 hits over 14 innings. Does manager David Bell have the guts to bump Joey Votto down in the batting order?

Why am I asking this question? It’s quite simple; Votto was absent from both games last night. The face of the franchise was a healthy-scratch and did not even appear as a pinch hitter in either game. The Reds are undefeated this season (5-0) when Votto has not played.

That’s not a slight against Joey Votto, as I don’t think he’s the sole reason that Cincinnati’s offense has struggled this season. However, it’s a curious stat and one that cannot be ignored. In saying that, I’m not advocating that Votto be benched, but maybe Bell should move him down in the batting order.

Look, it’s painfully obvious that Joey Votto is not the same player he was during the early-part of his career. Votto has had two “down” years and is hitting .191 this season. Sure, his .321 on-base percentage is respectable, but Votto’s career-OBP is .420. Fans expect better from the former MPV, and I’m sure Votto expects better of himself.

It’s also not as if Cincinnati is void of options to take Votto’s spot in the batting order. Eugenio Suárez, Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos, Shogo Akiyama and Jesse Winker should all be hitting ahead of Votto. Votto should be bumped back to the No. 6 spot in the batting order.

It’s quite similar to what the Los Angeles Angels do with Albert Pujols. The former St. Louis Cardinals great, much like Votto, is a shadow of himself but commands a high salary. Throughout his career, Pujols typically occupied the No. 3 spot in the batting order. However, in 20 game this season Pujols has hit out of the No. 6 spot 13 times and the No. 5 spot six times.

According to Jeremy Rauch of FOX 19, David Bell and Joey Votto spoke before the game. It was decided that Votto would receive a few days off to “get right”. Over the last 15 games, Votto is slashing .154/.290/.212 with just eight hits, no home runs and only one RBI. That is not the type of bat that belongs atop the batting order. In fact, I think I’m being kind suggesting Votto drop to No. 6.

Does David Bell have the guts to make this bold move? My instinct says no and we’re likely to see Votto back in the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in the batting order. However, I wouldn’t have thought we’d see Votto sit out both games last night in Milwaukee either. The next few days will be very interesting. When will Votto return and what spot in the batting order will he occupy?