Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

40-year-old slugger drawing interest from multiple teams in free agency

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Dan Benton | Last updated 1/13/24

After spending the first 17 seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, Joey Votto is a free agent for the very first time. And even at the age of 40, he’s drawing interest from multiple teams.

Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY reports that three teams have expressed interest in Votto, although he stopped short of naming any names.

Veteran free-agent first baseman Joey Votto, the beloved former Cincinnati Reds' six-time All-Star and MVP, has three teams now expressing interest in him.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 11, 2024

The Toronto Blue Jays had previously expressed some interest in Votto, so it’s safe to assume they’re one of the three teams Nightengale referenced. They opted to wait on the veteran, however. Given the depth of the designated hitter market, the Jays are in no rush to add a player for above-market value.

The six-time All-Star and 2010 NL MVP has appeared in 2,056 career games, batting .294/.409/.511 with 356 home runs, 1,144 RBI and 80 stolen bases. He’s compiled an overall WAR of 64.4 but was in the negative each of the past two seasons (-0.1, -0.3).

Despite Votto’s back-to-back underwhelming seasons, he is just three years removed from competing for an MVP Award. A transition to full-time DH would serve him well and likely extend his career for a few more years. Sluggers tend to stick around.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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