Votto, who appeared on the American sports talk show ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ on the 7th (Korean time), said, “I haven’t retired yet. “He wants to play in the major leagues for at least one more year,” he said. 

Votto, who signed a 10-year, $225 million contract extension with Cincinnati in April 2012, was guaranteed a contract until this year. His $20 million contract for next year is a club option, so it is unlikely that Cincinnati will exercise it. It is certain that the contract will be completed by paying Votto a $7 million buyout amount. Cincinnati fans, who sensed the separation, did not spare a standing ovation for Votto on the 25th of last month, the last home game of the season. 

Votto, who was drafted by Cincinnati in the second round and 44th overall in the 2002 draft, played as a one-club man for 17 years until this year after his major league debut in 2007. He is the team's franchise star and he can't imagine playing for any team other than Cincinnati.  

“I will be a free agent for the first time in my professional career,” Votto said. “I don’t know how excited I am,” he said, adding, “I want to stay in Cincinnati, but if the team doesn’t want me, I can consider playing for another team,” leaving open the possibility of a transfer. 

Considering Votto's symbolism, it is difficult for Cincinnati to let him go easily. A new contract can be signed for one year with a lower annual salary. However, there are young first basemen and designated hitter resources such as Spencer Stier and Christian Encarnacion-Stand, so if Votto remains in Cincinnati, he should play a backup role. 

Votto's performance has declined noticeably over the last two years. Votto, who had the worst performance of his career in 91 games in 2021 with a batting average of .205 (66 hits in 322 at-bats), 11 home runs, 42 RBIs, and an OPS of .689, was out for the season after undergoing left shoulder rotator cuff and biceps reconstruction surgery in August. After rehabilitation, he returned to the big leagues in mid-June of this year, but in 65 games, he had a batting average of .202 (42 hits in 208 at-bats), 14 home runs, 38 RBIs, and an OPS of .747.  

“The last few years have been terrible,” Votto said. He hasn't been healthy for two years, so he wants to play well. “I don’t want it to end like this,” he said, adding that he wanted to finish the final season with a healthy body. 

Votto, a right-handed, left-handed batting first baseman from Toronto, Canada, played a total of 2,056 games in 17 seasons in the major leagues, recording a batting average of .209 4-3, 2,135 hits, 356 home runs, 1,144 RBI, 1,365 walks, an on-base percentage of .409, a slugging percentage of .511, and an OPS of .920. He finished in the top seven in MVP voting six times, including winning the National League (NL) MVP in 2010, and was selected as an All-Star six times. He is an outstanding pitcher and swept the NL's top spot in on-base percentage a total of seven times from 2010 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2018. 

In 2013, he became the first Cincinnati team player to reach 300 on-base records together with Choo Shin-soo. That year, Votto reached base 316 times and Shin-soo Choo reached base 300 times. The friendship between the two players continued even after Choo Shin-soo transferred to the Texas Rangers as a free agent the following year. During the 2017 Players Weekend, where nicknames were engraved on uniforms instead of player names, Choo Shin-soo wore 'TOKKI1' and Votto wore 'TOKKI2', showing off their close friendship.

It originated from when they were running together in 2013, Votto praised Choo Shin-soo by saying, “No matter how fast I run, I won’t be able to catch you like a rabbit that can’t catch up,” and then they called each other a rabbit. Although he has left the Major League, Choo Shin-soo, who is one year older, is still active in Korea this year, his 41st season. Attention will be paid to whether Votto will also be given the opportunity to play his 41-year-old season next year. 

먹튀검증