Veteran Joey Votto (41, Cincinnati Reds) is expected to extend his playing career.
According to MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball (MLB) on the 7th (Korean time), Votto appeared on the Dan Patrick Show and expressed his intention to ‘play in MLB for at least one more year.’ Votto, from Toronto, Canada, is a legend representing Cincinnati. He is a one-club man who debuted in Cincinnati in 2007 and has played for only one team ever since. His career records (17 years) include 2,056 games, a batting average of 0.294 (2,135 hits in 7,252 at-bats), 356 home runs, and 1,144 RBI. He was selected as the National League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2010 and was selected as an All-Star six times in his career. Based on his outstanding pitching plan, his career on-base percentage reaches 0.409.
He is also familiar to domestic baseball fans as he had a meal with Choo Shin-soo in 2013. That year, Cincinnati led the National League (NL) with Votto (batting average of 0.305, 24 home runs, 73 RBI), Choo Shin-soo (batting average of 0.285, 21 home runs, 54 RBI), Brandon Phillips (batting average of 0.261, 18 home runs, 103 RBI), and Jay Bruce (batting average of 0.262, 30 home runs, 109 RBI). ) 3rd place in the Central League, crossing the threshold for fall baseball for two consecutive years.
He was a representative player for Cincinnati for many years, but his performance plummeted starting in 2019. Last year, his batting average in 91 games was only 0.205, and this season, his batting average in 65 games was 0.202 (42 hits in 208 at-bats). There are concerns about the ‘aging curve’ (a phenomenon in which athletic ability declines at a certain age, leading to a decline in skill). As it grows, the possibility of retirement rises to the surface. Votto, whose long-term contract ends after the season, has a club option worth $20 million (27 billion won) for next season. If Cincinnati does not exercise the option, he will receive $7 million (KRW 9.4 billion) and become a free agent. 스포츠토토
Votto, who attributed his recent struggles to “health issues,” said, “(If Cincinnati doesn’t exercise the option), I’ll be the first free agent in my professional career. I can’t tell you how excited I am.” He went on to add, “The last few years have been bad. I haven’t been healthy for two years, and I want to (get back healthy) and play well.”