Cincinnati Reds 2020 MLB Draft: Three biggest needs

3. The Reds need an eventual replacement for Joey Votto.

This is long overdue. The Cincinnati Reds have been the benefactors of the long, consistent career of Joey Votto. However, the last two seasons have revealed cracks in Votto’s game and Cincinnati has no legitimate successor in the team’s farm system.

Could Mike Moustakas or Josh VanMeter eventually supplant Votto at first base? Sure, but that’s not an ideal situation. Moustakas’ standing with team heading into the twilight of his career may be more in line with the eventual universal DH we’re sure to see in the coming years. Though VanMeter can fill in on occasion, he is not an everyday first baseman.

Votto will turn 37-year old towards the end of the 2020 season and has four years remaining on this current deal. That said, Votto has said in the past that he may decide to retire before his contract is up.

Votto is a fringe Hall of Famer and cannot be replaced easily. However, the Reds have no contingency plan in place should Votto hang up his cleats tomorrow. Like Moustakas, Votto’s best role heading into the next few seasons may be that of a designated hitter.

While there is only one first baseman likely to be chosen in the first round of the 2020 MLB (Spencer Torkelson), the Reds could snag Votto’s replacement in the second round. North Carolina’s Aaron Sabato is a power-hitting first baseman who’s limited athleticism may see him fall to No. 48.