Former NL MVP Joey Votto is searching for a team to hang his helmet in 2024. Should the New York Mets invest in the 40-year-old performer this offseason?
The pluses for the Mets going after Joey Votto
Even though Votto is up in age, he found a way to make the most of his 208 at-bats, hitting 14 home runs with a .433 slug percentage in 2023. Further, Votto’s amalgamated OPS reached .747, an upgrade from his .689 marker a year prior.
Do the downsides of a Votto pursuit outweigh the positives he’d bring to the Mets?
Votto has only played 100 or more games once in the last four years, and his diminished batting average has peaked at .205 in the last two.
However, Votto’s experience as one of the league’s best players gives the Mets a veteran presence that can still perform at the plate when available and influence the team’s culture in the locker room and the dugout.
For these reasons, Fan Nation’s Patrick McAvoy identified Votto as an intriguing free-agent candidate for the Mets to at the very least take a look at while he’s still up for grabs.
Votto earned $25.1 million with the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 and had his $20 million option for 2024 declined by the franchise he’s spent his entire career with back in November of last year. The Mets have a chance to snag Votto for less, and hopefully get more than what he put forth in 2023.