of red They rejected their club choice on the franchise icon Joey Votto Yesterday. In a statement yesterday from GM Nick Krall on the move, he emphasized that he doesn’t believe Votto will be approached to keep the important bat with the team in 2024, which seems to indicate that the side is getting opportunities. Together they were remote with little negotiation. That being said, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and the Cincinnati Inquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith, the two sides aren’t closing the door on a potential deal.
“I’m not closing the door on anything,” Krall said (per Sheldon), “I think with the players we have on the roster right now, there’s no playing time.” [for Votto]… It’s hard for him to make it as a pinch-hitting bat off the bench the way our roster is built right now. Krall went on to admit that it would be “tough to watch” if Votto played in another uniform after leaving the Reds.
It’s easy to see what Krall means by the position regarding the club’s roster gap. Jonathan India, Eli Dela Cruz, Matt McClain, Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-StrandAnd Noelvie Marte They are all major league-ready infielders in 2024, meaning the team’s playing time will almost certainly shift to the outfield and DH slots, where the likes TJ Friedl, Jake FraleyAnd Will Benson Also consider playing regularly, nothing to say as players Stuart Fairchild And Nick Senzel Lineable for at-bats as well. Given the club’s wealth of positional talent, it’s hard to see where Votto would fit in for Cincinnati, a hypothetical trade that would clear up some of the club’s positional logjam.
Votto, for his part, harbored no ill feelings toward the Reds in his decision. “At 40 years old, a potential championship-caliber team hit .200 back-to-back and didn’t pick up a guy,” Votto told reporters, including Goldsmith. Goldsmith added that Votto, like Krall, is a free agent for the first time in his career, but he doesn’t want to close the door on a return to Cincinnati next year.
More from around the MLB centerpieces…
- Tigers President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris spoke to reporters (including Evan Petzeld of the Detroit Free Press and Chris McCoskey of the Detroit News) yesterday about the club’s acquisition of the veteran outfielder. Mark Canha From beer. During the conference, Harris stated that the addition of Kanha ticks the box of “adding a helpful right-handed batsman”. [Detroit] On and off the field” Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows, Akhil BaddoAnd Riley Green Also when you buy the right spoilers Matt Vierling More opportunities to play in third place. In February, Harris praised the 35-year-old Kanha’s ability to call on the club’s young roster as a “high-character” player, whose calling card is his superior plate discipline, with strikeouts and walks above the league average. For Kanha, veteran McCoskey praised the team’s young core, saying, “A team is far from where it wants to be.” All it takes is a little nudge.”
- of White Sox Break up with a long short stop. Tim Anderson Yesterday, he added shortstop to a list of positions in need of filling this offseason that already includes right field, catcher and second base. Scott Merkin of MLB.com shares that short-term hope Colson MontgomeryIn the short term, he plans to make the club’s opening day list in 2024, which is expected to be the club’s long-term solution. “I’m sure I’ll get this spot, but you never know,” Montgomery said. “As a competitor and as a baseball player, you want to push yourself … I’m going to chase it,” the opening-day shortstop said. Montgomery is a top-40 consensus prospect in the sport heading into the 2023 season and is hitting .287/.456/.484 in 64 games this year heading into Double-A.