Joey Votto's time with the Cincinnati Reds might be over, and now there's a new team trying to pursue him, according to the latest rumors.
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The Los Angeles Angels won't have Shohei Ohtani in their lineup for the 2024 season. That hurts, but they still have to find a way to move on, right?
L.A.'s bullpen has gotten some help with the additions of Robert Stephenson and Matt Moore via free agency in recent days. And now, it's looking like they're trying to find ways to supplement the offense. One of those options is six-time All-Star and 2010 National League MVP Joey Votto.
On January 11, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that three teams were interested in the 40-year-old left-handed hitter.
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 were also linked to the Canadian at the beginning of free agency. However, a slow-moving market — specifically for veteran position players who could get at-bats at designated hitter — has likely prevented Votto from getting close to finding a new home for 2024 so far.
News of the Angels being interested in the 17-year MLB veteran is new as of January 24, thanks to a report from the New York Post's Jon Heyman on Bleacher Report:
.@JonHeyman says the Angels are one of the teams with interest in Joey Votto pic.twitter.com/fp0VaDX7Mt
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) January 24, 2024
Votto made his MLB debut in 2007 as a 23-year-old with the Cincinnati Reds. He's spent the entirety of his big-league tenure with them, but it now seems all but certain that a beloved figure in Reds history won't be calling Great American Ball Park home again next season. MLB.com's Mark Sheldon relayed an answer from Cincy's president of baseball operations Nick Krall regarding the team's current interest level in Votto. When asked about him at an event with season ticket holders, he said "We don't plan to bring him back as of now."
Nick Krall to season ticket holders after one asked about Joey Votto: “We don’t plan to bring him back as of now.”
— Mark Sheldon (@m_sheldon) January 24, 2024
Votto collected 2,135 hits and 356 home runs during his run with the Reds. It also included his 2010 MVP Award, six All-Star Game selections, and one Gold Glove Award. While he owns an impressive career line of .294/.409/.511, the past couple of years have been rough.
After slugging 36 home runs with 99 RBI in 2021, he's struggled to a .719 OPS with 25 homers and 79 RBI over his last 156 games played, which spans two seasons (2022 and 2023). Back in October, Votto publicly expressed a desire to play "at least one more year," per The Athletic.
