Even if that were true, how likely is it that this front office would acquire a player signed for that much until he's 40? They don't even want to sign Edwin and Jose because of their ages. They obviously place value on aging, as they should.
I mean, it would be awesome to have Votto in the lineup for the next few years, but it's the last few years of his contract that are the problem, including a huge buyout at the end of it.