MLB Free Agency: 5 Teams That Could Give Joey Votto Long-Term Deal He Seeks

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto still has one more year left on his contract after this season which will pay him $17 million. But after an offseason in which Albert Pujols signed a 10-year, $254 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels, followed by Prince Fielder getting a nine-year, $214 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, Votto has understandably been thinking to himself, "I want to go to there."

Obviously, the money Votto will receive in his new contract is going to be huge, on par with the $24 million yearly salary making the bank accounts of Pujols and Fielder runneth over. But according to what Votto told CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman, he also has his eyes on the length of those contracts. Any team not willing to commit to nine or 10 years probably isn't going to draw Votto's interest. For instance, Votto's hometown Toronto Blue Jays has a policy against offering contracts longer than five years.

Votto insists he wants to stay with the Reds. But it's a very real possibility that Votto's value on the free-agent market will far exceed what Cincinnati can afford to pay, as was the case with the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers. That gives the team a two-year window to win with Votto, after which they face losing him and breaking up their young core of talent.

The Reds seemed to acknowledge as much with their push to go for it this offseason, acquiring starter pitcher Mat Latos from the San Diego Padres and reliever Sean Marshall from the Chicago Cubs, along with signing free-agent closer Ryan Madson and outfielder Ryan Ludwick. Included in that Latos deal was first base prospect — and potential Votto replacement — Yonder Alonso. 

So if the Reds can't fulfill Votto's desire for a humongous contract and he ends up leaving the Queen City, which teams might be ready to step up with the years and money necessary to sign him? We're going to leave off teams like the Cardinals and Brewers, because if they couldn't keep Pujols and Fielder, respectively, how likely are they to pursue Votto? But here are five potential destinations.

5. Baltimore Orioles: Stop laughing. No one seems to want the Orioles' money, but one of these years, they're going to land a top free-agent target. And they've been chasing a big bat at first base for a long time now. 

4. Washington Nationals: Losing out on Prince Fielder had to sting. General manager Mike Rizzo took a lot of flack from fans and local media for letting the Tigers swipe Fielder away. Perhaps the Nats will be able to contend without a slugger at first base. But two years from now, they may want that one last piece to push them to the top. 

3. Chicago White Sox: Paul Konerko has two more years on his contract, running parallel to Votto. After that, he's eyeing retirement. No help looks to be coming from the White Sox's bereft minor league system; outside help will need to be brought in. Hitting in U.S. Cellular Field could hold a lot of appeal for Votto. 

2. Florida Marlins: After losing out on Pujols in free agency and opting not to pursue Fielder, the Marlins could still be looking to spend big money on a first baseman. (That is, if they're still spending big money two years from now.) The Marlins will have a better idea if spending big on Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle pushed them to contention. If they're not quite there, getting Votto might provide that final boost. 

1. Los Angeles Dodgers: In two years, the Dodgers will have new ownership and the Frank McCourt debacle will seem like a distant memory. With the specter of bankruptcy gone and the team free to spend money on talent again, Votto would look fantastic in the Dodgers' lineup. But with James Loney set to become a free agent after the season, can the Dodgers afford to wait two years for Votto to become available?