SAN ANTONIO (INTERVIEWER) – The Cincinnati Reds He may not be looking for a big hit this winter to add to the lineup or pitching staff.

But that doesn’t stop them from trying to add a second Hall of Fame caliber to the organization before they begin spring training next February.

Reds chairman Nick Krall said the club had contacted Joey Votto assess interest in returning to the team in a role to be determined, according to our media partners of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

“We just want to see if there’s anything that could make sense,” Krall said, considering the possibilities of a “wide-open” role.

Krall hasn’t really spoken to Votto, who is traveling on vacation. But it sets the stage for a reunion with the 17-year-old franchiser of a generation.

“There is an open door to possibly find a solution, if possible,” Krall said.

Votto, 41, was a Gold Glove first baseman, a six-time All-Star and 2010 MVP for the Reds before the largest contract in franchise history expired after the 2023 season and the Reds declined an option for 2024.

He had a significant behind-the-scenes influence on most of the young core of players who were rookies and second-year players during the team’s 2023 surprise run to the playoffs.

“There’s a lot of value for a guy who’s a Hall of Fame player,” said Krall, who last month hired presumptive Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona to replace David Bell.

“The guys in the clubhouse, the younger ones, respect him as a (former) teammate. I think it would be great.

Votto, who signed a minor league contract with his hometown Toronto Blue Jays in March, announced his retirement in August while he was a member of the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, then retired. traveled that evening to Toronto – where he lives – to visit with former Reds teammates who were finishing a three-game series against the Blue Jays.

He said then that it was too early to know what his plans would be if the Reds asked him to return to the organization.

This story was written by our media partners at the Cincinnati Enquirer.

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