When will Votto get the call?

[Kc61]

He isn't signed through next year. Hatt also is a horrid 2nd half player.

Maybe but he still wound up last year with a .289 average and .826 OPS in a full season of at bats (as a platoon). He is a very disciplined hitter and is the type of guy who will hit when he is sixty. Folks said his performance would dive this year, but not so far.

Would love to keep this guy as a bench player next couple of years. Don't know if he can play any left field, maybe not.

[kaldaniels]

We know what Edwin has done in the bigs, so thats moot in terms of the question I ask next....

Who would you say was the better prospect at this point in their career (AAA, ready to be called up) EE or Votto....I just need my memory refreshed.

[Kingspoint]

He's been tearing up AAA pitching for the past month. He has an OPS of 1.106 for the month of May. He's really come on strong after a slow start.

I agree that he shouldn't come up unless there is room for him play regularly.

A May like that is certainly worthy of a call-up.

Which brings up an interesting question.

Do you bring someone up sooner who's a high-round draft pick than you would someone who's not, or are you more patient with a high-round draft pick, being extra careful not to rush him and mess up his ceiling.

The Diamondbacks brought up 16th round selection Mark Reynolds from AA where he was putting up the same numbers from the beginning of the season that Votto is during May...OPS of plus-1100.

Since he was brought up 2 weeks ago he's been the hottest hitter in the Majors with an OPS of plus-1300. Would Arizona have left him in AA or only promoted him to AAA if he had been a high-round selection? He's only 23 years old.

(FWIW, #1 Pick Upton is tearing up AA and is forcing the D-backs hand to bring him up very soon at the age of 19)

[nmculbreth]

Sure, shop Hatteberg, but unless you can get something meaningful for him, keep him. He's 37 and will be 38 next season. He probably can play some left field in an emergency, as well as first. As a bench player next year, with Votto starting at first, Hatte can give the Reds good depth and hitting off the bench.

Imagine having the ability to put Hatteberg up in the late innings againt a tough righty as a pinch hitter for, say, Ross or the pitcher's spot. Depth, bench strength, is a wonderful thing. Or having Hatte available to fill in for an injury to a corner outfielder or first baseman.

From the left side, I would like to have both Hatte and Valentin off the bench -- with Valentin as the backup catcher. I know he doesn't field well, but Valentin adds something most backup catchers (including the current one) don't -- some offense. Then add Freel as super sub, Norris Hopper and an infielder (Castro, whomever) and you have a bench.

Hatteburg would be an excellent backup 1B / pinch hitter, but IMHO his greatest value to this club's long term future is as trade bait. Let's face it this club isn't a good PH / backup away from being a playoff contender, why not trade him for a player or two who might actually help the club in the future?

[mth123]

I'm a huge Votto fan and believe that he is the answer to the Reds 3 decade long problem of below league average production at 1B. But....

Given Atlanta's apparant problems at 1B, what would all the gurus think of a straight up deal Votto for Saltalamacchia? It looks like ATL needs a 1B and has a high level prospect catcher with no place to play. I think the Reds need a long term catcher. A swap of top prospects. Atlanta may want more since Salty plays a premium spot but Votto is a pretty highly rated hitter. Its intriguing. I think I'd make that deal if I were both teams.

[Kingspoint]

I'm a huge Votto fan and believe that he is the answer to the Reds 3 decade long problem of below league average production at 1B. But....

Given Atlanta's apparant problems at 1B, what would all the gurus think of a straight up deal Votto for Saltalamacchia? It looks like ATL needs a 1B and has a high level prospect catcher with no place to play. I think the Reds need a long term catcher. A swap of top prospects. Atlanta may want more since Salty plays a premium spot but Votto is a pretty highly rated hitter. Its intriguing. I think I'd make that deal if I were both teams.

Just reading what you're saying makes sense to me. The REDS have a huge hole at catcher, and a player ready to step in right now or next year fills a greater need than Votto does at 1B. The Braves just traded a catcher last year for Soriano. Do they have a surplus still at catcher?

(Votto is 2 for his last 12 with 0 homeruns...just sayin')

[mth123]

The Braves traded Horacio Ramirez a pitcher for Soriano. They signed Brian McCann long-term to start at catcher.

[Kingspoint]

The Braves traded Horacio Ramirez a pitcher for Soriano. They signed Brian McCann long-term to start at catcher.

That's right. It was a AA catcher that they traded to Cleveland for Wickman.

McCann would be blocking that player then, anyway.

[BucksandReds]

They may play Saltamechia at 1B or OF because he hits for average and power. I follow VORP a little and a quality C is worth alot more than a quality 1B. The only problem that I have is that the Braves C had a not so great year last year and although he's hit well this year, he hasn't had a ton of at bats. If he flops then we're set back alot. Votto is a productive player no matter what imho. I guess both have questions but the way things have gone with prospects over the last decade, it would kill me for Votto as a Brave to blow up.

[Kc61]

Hatteburg would be an excellent backup 1B / pinch hitter, but IMHO his greatest value to this club's long term future is as trade bait. Let's face it this club isn't a good PH / backup away from being a playoff contender, why not trade him for a player or two who might actually help the club in the future?

Good young players. Sure. No problem. Dump Hatte for mid-level minor leaguers. No. I could see Hatte playing a valuable back up role for two years after this one.

[Kingspoint]

They may play Saltamechia at 1B or OF because he hits for average and power. I follow VORP a little and a quality C is worth alot more than a quality 1B. The only problem that I have is that the Braves C had a not so great year last year and although he's hit well this year, he hasn't had a ton of at bats. If he flops then we're set back alot. Votto is a productive player no matter what imho. I guess both have questions but the way things have gone with prospects over the last decade, it would kill me for Votto as a Brave to blow up.

I looked up Salt's numbers at AA last year, and though not above average, it's currently where nearly the entire Chattanooga team is at right now. They promoted him to AAA, and if Salt didn't get back to his good numbers that he had before, then I'd start wondering if his ceiling was declining, but instead his numbers have gone the opposite direction telling me that I can ignore the ones from last year because this year's balance them out. Votto did the same thing in High-A Sarasota in 2005 before rebounding in 2006.

It would be a tough call as both are pedigree's....Salt the 36th player taken in the 2003 draft and Votto the 44th player taken in the 2002 draft. Salt is 1 year 8 months younger.

I'd rather have the catcher as all things appear to be equal. But, there's one huge matter. I have no idea what type of defensive catcher Salt is.

I just checked and Salt has been playing quite a bit for the Braves since May 9th (.313 .405 .438 ). McCann's last 7 games (.111 .158 .167 ).

[texasdave]

Bump.

Nice article on Joey Votto from these folks. http://www.rotojunkie.com/index.php?art/id:434
They seem to think he is not quite ready. But will be very soon.

[fisch11]

Just another update.....Votto continues to rake. This guy has got to make the club before the All-Star game the way he is playing. I'm all for having a guy get full time at bats in AAA rather than sit the bench in the majors, but he is showing that he is ready to make the jump. At the least our bench would be formidable.

[lollipopcurve]

Nice article on Joey Votto from these folks. http://www.rotojunkie.com/index.php?art/id:434
They seem to think he is not quite ready. But will be very soon.

Thanks for posting. Kind of amusing to me that despite the detailed statistical analysis the author was not able to uncover, in his research, the simplest answer to why Votto's season turned around -- he got his vision corrected. We all have our blind spots...

[dougdirt]

Thanks for posting. Kind of amusing to me that despite the detailed statistical analysis the author was not able to uncover, in his research, the simplest answer to why Votto's season turned around -- he got his vision corrected. We all have our blind spots...

I think that only had a little to do with it. He started hitting well about a week before he got contacts.