Reds Announcer Chris Welsh Suggests Ozzie Albies May Not Know Difference Between $35 Million and $85 Million

Chris Welsh is in the ringer after comments he made about Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies during Wednesday night’s game.

Albies agreed to a shocking five-year, $35 million extension during the offseason, a figure far below his market value. Discussing the topic, Welsh said this:

“Albies came from a very poor background. He’s from Curaçao, and if somebody offered you $35 million, I mean, he may not know the difference between $35 million and $85 million.”

A generous reading of these comments is that Welsh was clunky in making a point about relative wealth and providing for one’s family. A less generous reading is that the announcer believes Albies isn’t intelligent enough to grasp a $50 million gap in pay.

People tend to hear about believe what they want, so who knows if the full context of the comments — which isn’t out there yet — will change any minds.

Welsh is a well-liked fixture on Reds broadcast and has been for two-and-a-half decades. Consequence roulette is an unpredictable game but it would seem likely a clarification and perhaps apology is coming.

UPDATE: That’s exactly what happened.