Votto comfortable with rebuilding Reds: 'I didn't expect 16 straight years of winning'

Joey Votto is content being the best player on his team - even if that means being on a team that is out of contention.

"We keep getting better and that's all that really matters," the first baseman told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

Votto went on to express his appreciation for his time with the Reds - a tenure that began a decade ago.

"It's been great. I didn't expect 16 straight years of winning. I thought there'd be some give and take, and right now we're giving back, but we'll be back."

Since Votto's first full season with the Reds back in 2008, the team has a 756-792 record and just three trips to the postseason - including losing the wild-card game in 2013.

Since the Reds began selling off their most premium assets like Todd Frazier, Aroldis Chapman, and Jay Bruce, Votto's name has been bandied about the rumor mill.

However, Votto has remained with the Reds partially due to his difficult-to-move contract that guarantees the slugger $157 million from 2018-24. In his last year of the contract, he will turn 41.

Despite being a member of the last-place Reds, Votto is putting together yet another great year at the plate. The 33-year-old is slashing .310/.425/.621. If his current pace continues, it will lead up to what would be his third consecutive year with an on-base percentage higher than .400 since his injury-shortened 2014 campaign. The 2010 MVP has 26 home runs - just 11 shy of his career high.