From Forbes.com:
High-performing bargain players like Joey Votto and Johnny Gomes are the reason the Reds are in the postseason.
A winning baseball roster isn't put together by money alone. Cash helps, but for most ball clubs, it's limited. And that requires a front office that's savvy enough to find bargains.
This year's eight-team playoff field includes payrolls from all over the spectrum: High (Yankees, Phillies), middle-high (Giants, Twins), middle-low (Braves, Reds, Rays) and low (Rangers). All but the Yankees and Phillies have one common ingredient: at least one player on our list of top performers for the buck among this year's playoff participants.
The most cost-efficient player in the postseason, Reds' first baseman Joey Votto, is a strong favorite for the National League Most Valuable Player Award after hitting .324 with 113 RBI, while leading the league in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Votto's 2010 salary: $525,000.