3 Reds players whose career in Cincinnati may be over after 2023

3. Joey Votto may be entering his final year in a Reds uniform.

You know this was coming, right? While a good majority of Reds Country loves Joey Votto, the 2023 season may be his last ride with a wishbone C on his cap. Votto is entering the final guaranteed year on the 10-year contract extension that he signed back in 2012.

Now, Votto does have a $20-million team-option for the 2024 season that includes a $7-million buyout. What that means is that after this season, the Cincinnati Reds will have a $13-million decision to make.

But this decision will be about more than money. Outside of a renaissance season in 2021, Votto's last five seasons have been rather unproductive. At the very least you could call them un-Votto-like.

Since 2018, Votto has made it to just one All-Star Game while hitting .256/.371/.444 with 85 home runs and 276 RBIs. The five years prior to that, Votto went to the Midsummer Classic twice while finishing in the Top 7 of the NL MVP vote three times. He also posted a slash line of .310/.441/.528 with 124 round trippers and 373 runs batted in.

The Reds also appear to moving in the direction of shifting Tyler Stephenson from a full-time catcher to, perhaps, the team's evdryday first baseman in the future. There's also talented corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand lurking in the minor leagues.

Joey Votto will be 40 years old by the end of the 2023 season. The former MVP will likely begin the season on the IL following shoulder surgery that he underwent last summer. Given the Cincinnati Reds emphasis on youth and athleticism. combined with the team's lack of spending, the 2023 season could very well be Joey Votto's farewell tour.