Even Though He Hasn't Played For The Reds Since 2008, Ken Griffey Jr. Will Be Their Sixth-Highest Paid Player This Season

I'm a sucker for stats like this. Lost in all the trades that the Cincinnati Reds have made the last few days is that Ken Griffey Jr. is now the sixth-highest paid player on the Reds this year. Making a cool $3.59 million in deferred money at the ripe age of 52. Hasn't played in Cincinnati since 2008 but still collecting checks while sitting on his couch. And I know a ton of clubs have deferred money to players, it's nothing new. You just have to chuckle when you read some of these names and how much they're still making. 

Here is the list of Reds that are making more than Junior Griffey this season, and who knows, by the time you're reading this two or three of them may have been traded!

Joey Votto - $25 million

Mike Moustakas - $16 million

Shogo Akiyama - $8 million

Luis Castillo - $7.5 million

Tyler Mahle - $5.5 million

That's the list. 14 years since he last suited up for them and he's almost one of the top 5 earners on the club this season. The most famous deferred payment is the Mets and Bobby Bonilla every year, that's cool and all but Bobby isn't top 6 in salary on the Mets. This kind of stat tells you all you really need to know about the state of the Reds right now. Maybe for that much they can convince him to come back for a season, hell he's already getting paid. Tell him to test out that universal DH thing, I think he could get down with it. I'm also surprised they haven't tried to trade him to get that cash off the books, never know what they'll do over there in Cincy.  This is a team who was in the playoffs 2 years ago, and now they have Griffey almost top 5 in payroll. Life comes at you fast. 

PS. People in Cincy can't give Griffey crap for something like this because he hit #500 on Fathers Day and we got this awesome clip.