Ken Griffey Jr. Will Be The Sixth Highest Paid Player For The Reds In 2022: Fans React

• The Cincinnati Reds traded three of their best players to the other teams on Monday.
• Sonny Gray, Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez were all traded by the Reds for prospects.
• Read more news about Major League Baseball here.

So much for the anti-tanking measures Major League Baseball implemented in the new collective bargaining agreement with the players. The Cincinnati Reds obviously don’t care.

On Monday, the Reds traded arguably their two best position players, Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker, to the Seattle Mariners, and pitcher Sonny Gray to the Minnesota Twins.

In return, Cincinnati received pitching prospect Brandon Williamson, outfielder Jake Fraley, pitcher Justin Dunn and a player to be named later from Seattle, plus the Twins first round pick in 2021, pitcher Chase Petty.

Reds fans were understandably upset with the moves, especially after the team finished 83-79 in 2021 after going 31-29 in 2020 – the first two seasons the Reds have finished above .500 since 2013.

Related: MLB To Allow Advertising On Jerseys And Helmets: Fans Have Comical, Angry Reactions

https://twitter.com/molly_knight/status/1503476765351587843

Reds fans are not happy that Ken Griffey Jr. is currently the team’s sixth highest paid player in 2022

The Reds are also about to lose another star outfielder because Nick Castellanos, who hit .309 with 34 homers and 100 RBI in 2021, already declined his option for 2022 and will almost certainly sign a new contract elsewhere.

Cincinnati will still have Joey Votto, Mike Moustakas, Shogo Akiyama, Luis Castillo, and Tyler Mahle at the top of their payroll. However, it is the sixth name on that list that is really causing a stir: Ken Griffey Jr.

That’s right. Ken Griffey Jr. The same guy who last played for the Cincinnati Reds in 2008.

Griffey will earn $3.59 million in 2022 from the Reds, which puts him just behind Mahle at $5.5 million on the Reds’ payroll.

If you are like most baseball fans and wondering how this can be, here’s a refresher.

While Griffey isn’t exactly Bobby Bonilla, he’s not far off.

Back in 2000, the Reds signed Junior to a nine-year, $112.5 million contract.

Wait, if it was a nine-year contract, how do the Reds still owe Griffey $3.59 million in 2022? Good question.

Around half of that $112.5 million was deferred until the years 2009 to 2024.

https://twitter.com/GoCalBears10/status/1503501366748057602

Griffey then proceeded to have maybe three good years (and four injury riddled seasons) before shuffling off to the Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners to end his Hall of Fame career.

It could be worse though. The Mets will still be paying Bobby Bonilla until the year 2035.

That doesn’t make the pain any less acute though for Cincinnati Reds fans who, until Monday, had high hopes for the team in 2022.

Here’s another fun fact about the Reds payroll.