07-21-2019, 09:20 PM
(07-21-2019, 08:00 PM)kevin Wrote: Votto is 35 and has had some bad injuries over the years. He will be 36 next season. Most players do NOT get better as they reach 40, they get worse as in declining skills. I saw an old Tony Perez who would hit what use to be homers becoming warning track outs. I saw Pete Rose who's hits use to singles and doubles turn into routine ground outs, as Me and some Friends came up with a chant, " Take A Seat Pete ". Votto has had 2 bad years in a row. To think that he is going to get better as he is reaching 40 probably won't happen. I have to give Votto credit in that he has one of the best OBP in history of baseball and in the top 10 or top 20 all-time. However he no longer has home run power, but warning track power. The sad fact is the Reds could easily find someone to play First Base for less money with more Home Run Pop in his bat. Dietrich has more power. The Reds overload in OF could have somebody start practicing at first. If Stargell and Dunn could move to first base, it can't be that impossible.
Votto on pace to hit 12 home runs in 2019. A team should be looking for 30 or more at First Base. As he now gets into his late 30's pushing 40, he may have more warning track power than homer power. I notice he doesn't bat in the power part of line-up last few years. A slow running table setter.
The thing with Votto is that his additional Homeruns and RBI won’t matter much for his Hall of Fame bid as they aren’t impressive anyways. The numbers that do matter are his OBP and AVG and those will probably decline quite a bit with 4 more years of play. It may cost him the HOF.
