Last year, the regression of Joey Votto was notable. After all, the injuries hurt him, but he wasn’t at his best when he played.
And he doesn’t want that to happen again.
Although he’s not exactly healthy right now (he could start the season on the injured list), he has a deep feeling that he’s going to play well offensively this year.
Otherwise? He is going to retire.
He wants to establish a winning culture in Cincinnati and in his eyes, there is no question of continuing if he cannot keep pace.
If he didn’t feel like he could get back into shape, he would have retired.
Note that the first baseman is in the last year (guaranteed) of a 10-year contract. He will earn $25 million this season. Would he really be spitting on millions of dollars by stepping down?
If he plays badly, he will obviously withdraw. What if he plays well?
Chances are, if he plays well, he’ll be traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s a possibility on the table for the Reds.
If he cares and the Reds aren’t going anywhere, it could happen.
So there are several scenarios where he wouldn’t finish the season in Cincinnati… but I believe he will still finish the season in his usual colors.
We will have to start by seeing if he will be able to start the season on time. Afterwards, we will see once the deadline for transactions is upon us.
- Do the Mets need more reinforcements?
