If you're Jocketty, just how much would it take for you to trade Votto?

[Ghosts of 1990]

I wanted to point out that he's not yet 27 for over another month. This is considered just his age 26 season.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pl...ottojo01.shtml

[Brutus]

Exactly the reason he wouldn't ever be traded.

Being untouchable, though, is not the same as whether or not someone will ultimately be traded. Being untouchable, in a practical sense, means a club will never even field an offer for a player. No one is saying it's likely or even possible the Reds' would field an offer that yields enough in return to trade Votto--simply that they should be willing to listen to anything, and if the right deal were to come along, consider it.

[TheNext44]

Who are you going to get to improve the club? I think through the next four years at least, maybe 5 or 6, Joey Votto could be the most productive offensive player in baseball.

I've had this discussion with a lot of friends who are non Reds fans. Basically, they see a guy who's going to put up Pujols numbers from the LH side of the plate; who is four years younger and in a better hitting ballpark.

Aside from not being extremely marketable in a way that a Jeter or a Longoria is (debate that how you want), I don't know of any player in baseball who improve the club or organization more. You can't justify that we 'need' pitching anymore.

So , he's untouchable.

It really is a matter of semantics, but there are plenty of combinations of players that teams could offer for Votto that I would take. The issue is that no team would ever actually make such an offer.

So, Votto isn't untouchable, just not going to be traded. Like I said, semantics.

[Johnny Footstool]

It's fun to start piling up the names of the best players on other teams, but realistically, offensive production at 1B is *relatively* easy to replace. At least easier than SS.

If a team offered a can't-miss shortstop and a TOR starter, I would jump on that deal.

Honestly, if the Rockies ever offered Troy Tulowitski straight-up for Votto, I would seriously consider it.