With actual baseball games still going on, it's my belief that October trade speculation is the province of team-specific blogs. After all, we won't have any shortage of time to talk hot stove once the World Series is over and winter rolls around.
However, it's not every day that the talk centers around an MVP like Joey Votto. The Cincinnati Reds first baseman has been the subject of many loud whispers ever since�ESPN's Buster Olney reported that rival teams might be sending some trade offers the Reds' way.
The whispers have grown so loud, in fact, that Reds GM Walt Jocketty has been compelled to go on the offensive and publicly insist that Votto isn't going anywhere soon.
"I'm tired of talking about it," [Jocketty] said. "We're not shopping him. We're not entertaining offers. It's frustrating. He's one of the best players in the game. Why would we trade him? I wish people would stop writing about it." [...]
"Everyone is assuming they know our business," Jocketty said. "They don't. Then they write this and I have to call Joey and his agent and let them know there is nothing to it. It's not fair."
Jocketty can claim that the Reds aren't shopping Votto ? something that Olney never reported, by the way ? but it's easy to see why rivals might want to poach Votto and blogs like Jays Journal are already picturing the Toronto native playing first for the Blue Jays. He's going to be very expensive once he's eligible for free agency in 2014; the Reds already have prospect Yonder Alonso waiting in the wings and he could pull a good package of prospects from teams that lose out on the Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder derby this winter.
At the same time, it's easy for us to see where Jocketty is coming from. The Reds crept back into relevance with their 2010 NL Central title and trading away the team's best player would destroy any inroads the club has made at repairing its reputation locally and nationally. There may come a day when Jocketty has to deal Votto if the team either can't afford him or he decides he'd like to play elsewhere. But it does no favors to Jocketty's bargaining position if he allows the belief that Votto will be easy pickings.
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